New Cornerstone Advisors Research Reveals Community Banks Are Ceding a $106 Billion Consumer Lending Opportunity

Study finds consumer lending can protect commercial relationships, deposits and future growth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Community banks that treat consumer lending as a low-margin, low-priority product risk surrendering valuable customer relationships and billions in loan demand to competitors, according to new Cornerstone Advisors research commissioned by Teslar Software.

The report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don't Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, says consumer lending should be viewed not as a standalone profit center but as a way to retain business-owner relationships, protect deposits and defend against fintechs, credit unions and large banks.

Across approximately 5.5 million U.S. employer small businesses, owners are expected to generate roughly $106 billion in consumer loan demand over the next two years — much of which community banks currently allow to flow elsewhere. The study, based on a survey of 1,249 small-business owners and executives and interviews with community bank executives, found that nearly 60% of business owners bank with one of the five largest U.S. banks, where consumer lending represents 12% to 24% of total loan portfolios.

Additionally:

• Median consumer loans are just 1.2% of total loans at U.S. banks with $500 million to $20 billion in assets and 0.83% at banks with $10 billion to $20 billion.
• Only 46% of business owners who obtained a personal loan in the past three years used their primary business bank; 54% borrowed elsewhere.
• Business owners cited rates or terms (41%), slow approval (35%) and lack of awareness or availability (14%) as reasons for borrowing elsewhere.

"Many banks ask whether consumer loans generate enough profit on their own to justify the investment," said Elizabeth Gujral, director at Cornerstone Advisors. "The real question is what banks stand to lose when business owners turn elsewhere. Every loan that leaves creates an opening for a competitor to deepen the relationship, attract deposits and win future business. Consumer lending is increasingly a relationship-retention strategy."

Other key survey findings:

• 72% of business owners expect to need a consumer loan within three years, up from 66% who obtained one in the previous three years.
• 80% would consider a consumer loan from their primary business bank if it offered the product.
• Banks with the highest consumer lending mix outperformed those with the lowest, posting median ROA of 1.44% versus 1.15%, ROE of 13.4% versus 10.5%, and deposit growth of 9.9% versus 8.0%.

"Consumer lending is about more than the loan itself," said Joe Ehrhardt, CEO and founder of Teslar Software. "It's an opportunity to deepen existing relationships today and build the commercial relationships of tomorrow. By modernizing origination and automating routine processes, community institutions can make consumer lending efficient and profitable while supporting long-term growth."

The report concludes that although consumer lending may not drive profits on a loan-by-loan basis, it plays a critical role in strengthening customer relationships and defending against growing competition.

The full report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don't Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, is available for download here.

About Cornerstone Advisors

For more than 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has provided advisory services and research to banks, credit unions and fintech companies. The firm helps financial institutions improve performance, modernize technology, increase efficiency and execute growth strategies.

About Teslar Software

Teslar Software helps community financial institutions modernize operations and accelerate growth while preserving relationship banking. Its unified platform supports loan origination, portfolio management, AI-powered workflow automation and exception tracking.

Media Contact
Cate Pitts, Editorial Director
Cornerstone Advisors
480-425-5203
[email protected]

SOURCE Cornerstone Advisors