SBA loans, without the runaround
The SBA publishes the data. Nobody translates it.
We read 795,652 federal loan records so you don't have to. No lender pays us for a ranking, a badge or a referral.
I don't know if I qualify
Ten questions covering what actually disqualifies people.
Check eligibility →
I need to find a lender
415 banks compared on the smallest loan they'll write, their typical rate, and what they fund.
Compare lenders →
Which lenders fit my exact deal?
Enter your state, industry, loan size and what the money is for — see the lenders whose real SBA record matches.
Match my deal →
I'm buying a business
Whether the deal covers its own debt, and what you take home after payments.
Run the numbers →
I'm looking at a franchise
How owners of 228 brands actually fared with their SBA loans.
See the record →
What's normal in my industry?
Typical loan size, term and default rate for your line of work.
Find your industry →
Is 504 safer than 7(a)?
890,648 loans analysed. The answer is yes — until you get above $2M.
Read the research →
I took a cash advance
What it is really costing you, and whether SBA can refinance it.
Find out →
What's in here
all from the federal loan record| Database | Pages | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Lenders | 415 | Will this bank even talk to me, and what rate do people get? |
| Franchise brands | 228 | How many owners of this brand defaulted? |
| Industries | 88 | What does a normal loan look like in my line of work? |
| States | 52 | Who actually lends where I am? |
| Glossary | 58 | What did my banker just say? |
| Calculators | 4 | Do my own numbers work? |
Franchises where owners struggled most
defaulted within 7 years| Brand | Defaulted | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Experimac | 40 of 64 | 53.8% |
| DENTAL FIX RX | 25 of 54 | 40.4% |
| TUTOR DOCTOR | 18 of 53 | 31.6% |
| Window Genie | 17 of 47 | 30.9% |
| EMBROIDME | 13 of 35 | 30.4% |
A high rate does not mean a bad business. It means one that has been hard to finance profitably — which changes what a bank will offer you.
And where they did best
150+ seasoned loans| Brand | Defaulted | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Red Roof Inn | 0 of 166 | 0.0% |
| CHEVRON (GAS STATION) | 0 of 164 | 0.0% |
| CULVER'S | 0 of 164 | 0.0% |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL | 1 of 308 | 0.1% |
| The UPS Store | 1 of 453 | 0.1% |
One failure in 453 UPS Stores. Forty in 64 Experimacs. Same federal dataset, same seven-year window.
Why this site exists
Every large finance site in this category is paid by lenders to send them applications. That is why none of them will tell you a bank is slow, or that a franchise brand has a default problem. We take no lender money, accept no applications, and publish the method behind every number. Here is exactly how we make money.
Loans analysed 795,652
Lenders 415
Brands 228
Glossary terms 58
Data released 2026-06-30