The ongoing US credit crunch and its impact on lending and commercial real estate.

The US banking system is not on the brink of a broad crisis, but credit is becoming less available and more expensive, according to a Fed report on financial stability and a central bank survey of bank loan officers. The process should mean less consumer and business spending and, eventually, lower inflation. The Fed's Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey, which was conducted after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and released on Monday, was less dire than anticipated. Only a slightly larger share of banks tightened standards for key business loans compared with the survey in January.