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Let’s start here: SBA lending is not “small commercial lending with extra paperwork.” Instead, it’s strategic risk management guided by the SBA SOP. Why? To start with, the government guaranty fundamentally changes risk exposure. And then there’s the community aspect: SBA loans allow banks to safely serve small-business Borrowers that might not qualify for a standard commercial loan. This helps stabilize not only the local business community, but also the bank’s overall credi

In SBA 7(a) Lending, you obviously have to focus on the factors that make a loan eligible. Business acquisition, partner buyout, equipment purchase, working capital – these criteria matter for compliance and eligibility. But those criteria, while important, aren’t the only factors that determine whether a deal succeeds. As SBA Lender service providers and consultants, we recognize that all loans are unique unto themselves.

There were a lot of U.S. bank mergers & acquisitions (M&As) in 2025 – over 170, according to American Banker, which is a significant increase from prior years – and there are still more pending as we go into the new year.

Effective March 1st, 2026, SBA will no longer allow the use of FICO®’s Small Business Scoring Service to screen 7(a) small loans (loans up to $350,000). Instead – as has been an observable trend for over a year now – SBA is re-emphasizing that Lenders must return to traditional commercial credit analysis in alignment with how their non-SBA commercial loans are evaluated and underwritten, as outlined in the SBA SOP 50 10 8.

As an SBA lender, the SBA guaranty offers essential protection supporting your institution’s willingness to extend credit to small businesses. But that protection comes with responsibilities, not the least of which is the duty to act in a timely manner throughout the life of the loan – and especially when the loan is in distress.

We often see Lenders forget to take advantage of the support a Lender Service Provider (LSP) can offer. So, when should you lean on an...

We've been hearing it's been a challenge for SBA 7a lenders to find, hire, and maintain an experienced SBA 7a lending team. Whether it's...

Economic downturn. Changes to interest rates. You know what’s coming, right? An increase in troubled loans. Which means an increase in...

You’re drowning in details and SBA paperwork. Interest-rate changes are creating a deluge of SBA Servicing Actions. The economic slowdown...

Yes, it’s December. We’re having a hard time believing that too – the year has whizzed by – but December it is, and that means it’s...

The number of new business startups in the last few years simply exploded previous records. And that means more business owners than...

Let’s face it: there’s never enough time. And there are so many SBA requirements to remember. You’re behind before you even start! Just...

Leveraging the use of a Lender Service Provider SBA Lenders: you’re drowning in the world of PPP Lending. On top of that, many of you are...

It is a subject that comes up quite often- just what is a Lender Service Provider? In its simplest form, an LSP acts as an agent who...