SBADecoded

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 — because no lender pays us at all.

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 →
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 PagesWhat it answers
Lenders415 Will this bank even talk to me, and what rate do people get?
Franchise brands228 How many owners of this brand defaulted?
Industries88 What does a normal loan look like in my line of work?
States52 Who actually lends where I am?
Glossary58 What did my banker just say?
Calculators4 Do my own numbers work?

Franchises where owners struggled most

defaulted within 7 years
Brand DefaultedRate
Experimac40 of 6453.8%
DENTAL FIX RX25 of 5440.4%
TUTOR DOCTOR18 of 5331.6%
Window Genie17 of 4730.9%
EMBROIDME13 of 3530.4%

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 DefaultedRate
Red Roof Inn0 of 1660.0%
CHEVRON (GAS STATION)0 of 1640.0%
CULVER'S0 of 1640.0%
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL1 of 3080.1%
The UPS Store1 of 4530.1%

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