What does the Bible say about lending institutions as businesses?

There is nothing wrong with lending as long as the borrower understands how to repay and get out of debt. There are formal and money-safe lender institution, such as banks, but a number of Filipinos regard them as expensive and burdensome due to the documentation requirements and large amounts of collateral (1). Unfortunately, a number of Filipinos who run micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are enticed by loan sharks, who take advantage of them through 5-6 financing schemes, resulting in the majority of them falling into debt cycle. The act of lending money has been around for a very long time. According to Scripture, the Lord directed the Israelites to charge interest on loans made to foreigners (non-Israelites), but not to their spiritual brothers and sisters (2). This is because the borrower becomes a slave to the lender (3). Also, the Lord desires for them to be a blessing to those brethren who are struggling to make ends meet. Furthermore, the Lord warns His people against taking out loans if they are unable to repay the debts they have incurred for themselves (4). If your goal is to get individuals out of debt rather than trap them in a debt cycle, you are assisting them. May you also provide them with financial literacy programs to assist them manage what God has entrusted to them. When you register your credit institution with the government, you further protect the rights of the borrowers.   (1) See Bankers in the ancient Near East were money exchangers who borrowed money from individuals and returned it to them with a low interest rate. And the money they borrow will be loaned to others at a high interest rate. (See Matthew 25:27 on Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible.)    (2) See Deut. 23:19-20. It is safe to infer that their relatives and family members should not be charged interest when they borrow since they want them to break free from the debt cycle. (3) See Prov. 22:7. (4) See Prov. 22:26-27.