Microloan Fund Debuts

Tremont Credit Union has been tapped to service the city of Boston’s new $350,000 microloan fund.Small businesses based in Boston’s empowerment zone will be eligible to receive up to $25,000 in loans for inventory improvements and working capital. The zone is a 5.8-square-mile area that consists of roughly 60,000 residents, or approximately 10% of the city’s population. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designated the zone in 1999 to ensure responsible development and sustained community revitalization in areas that have experienced years of chronic divestment, according to a press release from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s office.Empowerment zone businesses with annual revenues less than $500,000 are eligible to apply for financing through the program. Loans will vary from $5,000 to $25,000 and will carry a fixed rate of 9%.“Part of our strategy for strengthening our local communities is to ensure a strong and expanding base of small businesses that provide jobs to local residents,” Menino said. “This microloan pool is designed to strengthen those businesses that already support our neighborhoods, and encourage the creation of new ones. We know that public-private partnerships promote investment necessary for sustainable economic and community development.”

Tech CU Adds GPSTo Mobile Services

Technology Credit Union has added GPS searches for surcharge-free ATM locations to the mobile banking services it offers its 78,000 members.The $1.3 billion CU (www.techcu.com) in San Jose, Calif., has signed up for a download service from LocatorSearch that places a points-of-interest file on the device, providing turn-by-turn directions.The ATM location finder is part of the credit union’s mobile banking services. Tech CU is a member of the Allpoint and CO-OP ATM networks, which includes more than 60,000 locations nationwide, including Target, Costco, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, CVS and Rite-Aid stores and Exxon and Chevron gas stations.