24 / PRNewswire / -- The Commercial Finance Association ( CFA ) today released its " Quarterly Asset-Based Lending Index , Q3 2008 , " revealing a significant 17.1 percent increase in new credit commitments in the third quarter . This comes on the heels of 16.2 percent growth in the second quarter for CFA members , signifying the crucial role that asset-based lending plays in the global economy . This role , according to the CFA , is even more critical as businesses struggle to secure capital to sustain and grow their operations .