“The Federal Reserve System January 2013 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices addressed changes in the supply of, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households over the past three months. This summary is based on responses from 68 domestic banks and 22 U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks. In the January survey, generally modest fractions of domestic banks reported having eased their standards across major loan categories over the past three months on net. On balance, small percentages of domestic respondents reported that lending standards on commercial and industrial (C&I) loans had been eased over the past three months and that many terms on such loans had also been loosened. In addition, moderate net fractions of domestic banks reported that demand for C&I loans from firms of all sizes had increased over the survey period. Domestic respondents indicated that demand for business loans, prime residential mortgages, and auto loans had strengthened, on balance, while demand for other types of loans was about unchanged. U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, which mainly lend to businesses, reported little change in their lending standards, while demand for their loans was reportedly stronger on net.”