by Calculated Risk on 5/02/2011 02:25:00 PM

From the Fed April 2011 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices:

The April survey indicated that, on net, bank lending standards and terms generally had eased somewhat further during the first quarter of this year, and that the demand for commercial and industrial loans (C&I) and for commercial mortgages increased, while that for residential mortgages continued to decrease.
...
Regarding changes in standards and terms on loans to households, several large banks eased lending policies on credit card and auto loans, and the net fraction of banks that reported having become more willing to make consumer installment loans rose to its highest level since the first half of 1994. Moderate net fractions of banks reported a net easing of the spreads of auto loan rates over their own cost of funds, and roughly similar fractions of large banks also eased several other terms on such loans.

Standards are still tight, but banks are more willing to make consumer loans - and C&I loan demand continues to increase.