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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Small businesses are still struggling to find financing, but for those seeking government-backed loans, the worst may be over. The Small Business Administration’s flagship lending program backed 37% more loans in its latest quarter than it did a year ago, at the height of the financial crisis. This is good for banks because they are issuing more business checking accounts. With business checks, passing through, it will help the economy one by one.

In the three months ended Dec. 31, the SBA’s 7(a) lending program processed 12,393 loans totaling $3.8 billion, according to preliminary data released Monday by the agency. That’s a sharp increase from the 9,070 loans, totaling $1.9 billion, processed in the year-earlier quarter.

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