In the past couple of weeks I’ve come across news stories about four new banking options that fall outside the traditional banking system. Whether or not these new options will ultimately pose a threat to traditional banks and credit unions has yet to be determined. But they are new ventures that are worth following.

And they are proof points that we are in the midst of an economic revolution that is changing the banking landscape in America.

The first story is about Walmart’s Sam’s Club making small business loans. While I first read about this in some magazine, I failed to make note of the source. But, a quick Google search turned up several online articles.

On July 6, the folks at Sam’s Club announced that it was testing an online program to make loans at discounted prices from $5,000 to $25,000 to qualified club members. As Sam’s Club does not own a bank, this program is a partnership with Superior Financial Group, the nation’s largest SBA lender. Superior, founded in 2005, is one of only 13 federally licensed non bank lenders.

One reason given for testing this new loan program is that a November, 2009, survey by Sam’s Club of its small business customers found that nearly 15% of them reported being denied a loan to keep their businesses operating.

As an aside, for over a decade senior management at Walmart has been seeking government approval to acquire a bank so it can offer checking accounts to its huge customer base. Could such an approval be too far off?

The second story is about Josh Reich and his new venture called BankSimple. It appears on page 41 in the July 12-18 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek. Fed up with the service received from traditional banks, Reich and former McKinsey business consultant Shamir Karkal decided to launch their alternative bank.

The Internet-only bank has no branches. Membership will be limited to smartphone users although they can access their accounts online. Members will receive a single card that functions both as a debit card and a link to a line of credit.

According to the article, the online buzz has been so great that Reich plans to launch his new alternative bank in the fall with 10,000 customers. More details are available by reading the article.

The third story is that micro-loans first introduced in poor, third-world countries have come to America. The article, “It’s Payback Time,” appears on pages 44-45 in the July 26 issue of Newsweek magazine. The lender is Grameen America, a U.S. seedling of the Bangladeshi micro-lending operation.

Grameen America specializes in tiny loans to people living below the poverty line – the majority of them women. A typical loan might be $1,500 that must be paid back weekly in $30 installments plus $3 in interest. Such loans are generally made to a small group of entrepreneurs to ensure they work together to make their payments. According to the article, the repayment rate among Grameen borrowers in 98% versus an average of 90% for traditional bank loans.

Currently, Grameen America has branches in New York and Omaha, with plans to expand into San Francisco.

The fourth story is about the Mango Store which is the subject of my June 30 blog, “There’s A New Banker in Town,” which is available below. Appearing on page 44 in the July/August issue of Fast Company magazine, the article describes the first Mango Store which opened in April in Austin, Texas. While not a traditional bank, the Mango Store provides banking services to the growing “unbanked” population.

The goal of the founders is to establish long-term relationships with its clients. There’s a one-time $10 fee to become a member. Clients can “cash” as many checks at they want by loading the money onto a Mango debit card which is backed by a local bank. Withdrawals can be made at ATMs including those at the Mango Store.

Inside the store are self-service kiosks where customers can go online to check their balances and transfer funds to other members. Other services available include international money transfers and bill paying.

What’s critical here is that all four articles appeared in major magazines within a couple of months. Individually, each story might have seemed insignificant. But taken together, they indicate something much more important – a groundswell of activity aimed at offering consumers alternatives to the traditional banking system.

As the four mega-banks continue growing in size while capturing an ever-larger share of both the deposit and lending markets, they are leaving behind a growing number of consumers who are seeking more customer-friendly banking options.

While the smaller to medium-size banks and credit unions are able to fill much of the void created by the mega-banks, consumer and small business loans are more difficult to obtain these days. And with many banks seeking to add additional fees and balance requirements on transaction accounts, a growing number of consumers are creating a market that is ripe for new alternatives like the four presented above.

We could be witnessing the beginning of a major change in the way many Americans obtain their banking services.