Small mortgage lenders are pushing for a slice of the federal support that is propping up giants like Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc.

These lenders, known as mortgage banks, say they are being starved of the credit they need to make home loans, reducing competition in a mortgage market increasingly dominated by a few giant banks, led by Bank of America, Wells Fargo & Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup.

As mortgage banks close or face credit constraints, competition to offer the lowest rates and fees is becoming less intense.

Wall Street Journal