Lender · SBA 7(a) record
First American Bank
IL · lends in 11 states · 951 SBA loans since 2010, 115 in the last five years.
How fast they approve. First American Bank made 56% of its recent SBA 7(a) loans under Preferred Lender (PLP) authority — it can approve them in-house without sending your file to the SBA to re-underwrite, which is the biggest single driver of how fast a loan closes. Why approval speed comes down to the lender.
What stands out about First American Bank
vs every other SBA lenderIt leans into one industry. 9% of First American Bank's loans go to machine shops — roughly 28× the share you would expect, so it clearly knows that business.
First American Bank is acquisition-heavy. 41% of its loans are business acquisitions, well above the norm — a good sign if that is your deal.
Borrowers here paid a median of prime + 0.94% — cheaper than the prime + 1.99% typical across lenders.
This read is built from 115 funded 7(a) loans over the last five fiscal years; outside its core states the sample thins out, so weigh the rest accordingly.
Will they talk to you?
loan sizes fundedThe spread of loan sizes tells you where this lender is comfortable. Ask for something far outside it and expect friction.
Do they fund businesses like yours?
last 5 yearsA lender who already knows your industry asks better questions and closes faster. One who doesn't will treat your file as an education.
Middle of the road on risk
1.68% charged off, close to the 2.11% across all SBA lending. Neither unusually tight nor unusually loose.
What rate people got
median markup over primeThe median borrower here paid prime + 0.94%. Compare that against what you have been quoted — the markup is the negotiable part, and most borrowers never try.
Their loans, year by year
cumulative % of dollars charged off| Approved | Yr 1 | Yr 2 | Yr 3 | Yr 4 | Yr 5 | Yr 6 | Yr 7 | Yr 8 | Yr 9 | Yr 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 2011 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 2012 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| 2013 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 2014 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| 2015 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 2016 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | · |
| 2017 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · |
| 2018 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | · | · | · |
| 2019 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · |
| 2020 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · | · |
| 2021 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 2022 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 2023 | 0.0 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 2024 | 0.0 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 2025 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Each row is one year's lending. Read down a column to compare years at the same age — that is the only fair comparison, because losses take three to five years to appear and a fast-growing lender always looks clean on a raw average.
What this page cannot tell you
Federal records show what was approved, not how long it took, how the bank communicated, or whether your loan officer returned calls. Ask any lender directly: are you a preferred lender, how many deals like mine did you close last year, and who underwrites it.
Check your eligibility first → Decode what they say to you →
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Common questions
Does First American Bank make SBA startup and acquisition loans?
Yes — its recent SBA 7(a) record includes 14 business acquisitions, 12 startups, 5 franchise loans. If your deal is one of these, it has funded that kind of loan many times before. See how it ranks for your exact deal.
What is the smallest SBA loan First American Bank will make?
Its practical minimum — the 5th percentile of what it has actually funded — is about $125,400, and the typical (median) First American Bank loan is $500,000. If your loan is well below its practical minimum, it is unlikely to be interested however strong your file.
What interest rate do First American Bank SBA borrowers get?
On variable-rate loans, recent First American Bank borrowers paid a median of prime + 0.94%. The markup over prime is the negotiable part of any SBA quote. Check a rate you have been quoted.
What states does First American Bank lend in?
Most of First American Bank's recent SBA lending is concentrated in Illinois, Florida, New Mexico, among 11 states in total. Compare lenders by state.