SBA Loan

Fees on an SBA 7a loan

Fees

To offset the costs of the SBA’s loan programs to the taxpayer, the Agency charges lenders a guaranty fee and a servicing fee for each loan approved and disbursed. The amount of the fees are based on the guaranty portion of the loans. The lender may charge the upfront guaranty fee to the borrower after the lender has paid the fee to SBA and has made the first disbursement of the loan. The lender’s annual service fee to SBA cannot be charged to the borrower.

SBA Program Fees

For loans approved on or after December 8, 2004, the following fee structure applies:

• For loans of $150,000 or less, a 2 percent guaranty fee will be charged. Lenders are again permitted to retain 25 percent of the up-front guarantee fee on loans with a gross amount of $150,000 or less.
• For loans more than $150,000 but up to and including $700,000, a 3 percent guaranty fee will be charged.
• For loans greater than $700,000, a 3.5 percent guaranty fee will be charged.
• For loans greater than $1,000,000, an additional .25 percent guaranty fee will be charged for that portion greater than $1,000,000. The portion of $1,000,000 or less would be charged a 3.5 percent guaranty fee. The portion greater than $1,000,000 would be charged at 3.75 percent.

The annual on-going servicing fee for all 7(a) loans approved on or after October 1, 2006 shall be 0.494 percent of the outstanding balance of the guaranteed portion of the loan. The legislation provides for this fee to remain in effect for the term of the loan.

Combination Financing:

Beginning October 1, 2004, Combination Financing will no longer be allowed

Prohibited Fees:

Processing fees, origination fees, application fees, points, brokerage fees, bonus points, and other fees that could be charged to an SBA loan applicant are prohibited. The only time a commitment fee may be charged is for a loan made under the Export Working Capital Loan Program.

What Percentage of My Loan Will the SBA Guarantee

Guaranty Percents

For those applicants that meet the SBA’s credit and eligibility standards, the Agency can guaranty up to 85 percent of loans of $150,000 and less, and up to 75 percent of loans above $150,000. This standard applies to most variations of the 7(a) Loan Program.

However, SBAExpress loans carry a maximum guaranty of 50 percent guaranty. The Export Working Capital Loan Program carries a maximum of 90 percent guaranty, up to a guaranteed amount of $1,000,000.

SBA 7(a) Loan Program

7(a) loans are the most basic and most used type loan of SBA’s business loan programs. Its name comes from section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, which authorizes the Agency to provide business loans to American small businesses.

All 7(a) loans are provided by lenders who are called participants because they participate with SBA in the 7(a) program. Not all lenders choose to participate, but most American banks do. There are also some non-bank lenders who participate with SBA in the 7(a) program which expands the availability of lenders making loans under SBA guidelines.

7(a) loans are only available on a guaranty basis. This means they are provided by lenders who choose to structure their own loans by SBA’s requirements and who apply and receive a guaranty from SBA on a portion of this loan. The SBA does not fully guaranty 7(a) loans. The lender and SBA share the risk that a borrower will not be able to repay the loan in full. The guaranty is a guaranty against payment default. It does not cover imprudent decisions by the lender or misrepresentation by the borrower.

Under the guaranty concept, commercial lenders make and administer the loans.

The business applies to a lender for their financing. The lender decides if they will make the loan internally or if the application has some weaknesses which, in their opinion, will require an SBA guaranty if the loan is to be made. The guaranty which SBA provides is only available to the lender. It assures the lender that in the event the borrower does not repay their obligation and a payment default occurs, the Government will reimburse the lender for its loss, up to the percentage of SBA’s guaranty. Under this program, the borrower remains obligated for the full amount due.

All 7(a) loans which SBA guaranty must meet 7(a) criteria. The business gets a loan from its lender with a 7(a) structure and the lender gets an SBA guaranty on a portion or percentage of this loan. Hence the primary business loan assistance program available to small business from the SBA is called the 7(a) guaranty loan program.

A key concept of the 7(a) guaranty loan program is that the loan actually comes from a commercial lender, not the Government. If the lender is not willing to provide the loan, even if they may be able to get an SBA guaranty, the Agency can not force the lender to change their mind. Neither can SBA make the loan by itself because the Agency does not have any money to lend. Therefore it is paramount that all applicants positively approach the lender for a loan, and that they know the lenders criteria and requirements as well as those of the SBA. In order to obtain positive consideration for an SBA supported loan, the applicant must be both eligible and creditworthy.

What SBA Seeks In A Loan Application:

In order to get a 7(a) loan, the applicant must first be eligible. Repayment ability from the cash flow of the business is a primary consideration in the SBA loan decision process but good character, management capability, collateral, and owner’s equity contribution are also important considerations. All owners of 20 percent or more are required to personally guarantee SBA loans.

Eligibility Criteria:

All applicants must be eligible to be considered for a 7(a) loan. The eligibility requirements are designed to be as broad as possible in order that this lending program can accommodate the most diverse variety of small business financing needs. All businesses that are considered for financing under SBA’s 7(a) loan program must: meet SBA size standards, be for-profit, not already have the internal resources (business or personal) to provide the financing, and be able to demonstrate repayment. Certain variations of SBA’s 7(a) loan program may also require additional eligibility criteria. Special purpose programs will identify those additional criteria.

Eligibility factors for all 7(a) loans include: size, type of business, use of proceeds, and the availability of funds from other sources. The following links will provide more detailed information on these eligibility issues.

Size
Eligible And Ineligible Types Of Business
Use Of Proceeds
Availability Of Funds From Other Sources

Character Considerations:

SBA must determine if the principals of each applicant firm have historically shown the willingness and ability to pay their debts and whether they abided by the laws of their community. The Agency must know if there are any factors which impact on these issues. Therefore, a “Statement of Personal History” is obtained from each principal.

Other Aspects Of The Basic 7(a) Loan Program

In addition to credit and eligibility criteria, an applicant should be aware of the general types of terms and conditions they can expect if SBA is involved in the financial assistance. The specific terms of SBA loans are negotiated between an applicant and the participating financial institution, subject to the requirements of SBA. In general, the following provisions apply to all SBA 7(a) loans. However, certain Loan Programs or Lender Programs vary from these standards. These variations are indicated for each program.

Interest Rates on SBA 7a loans

7a Interest Rates

Interest rates are negotiated between the borrower and the lender but are subject to SBA maximums, which are pegged to the Prime Rate.

Interest rates may be fixed or variable. Fixed rate loans of $50,000 or more must not exceed Prime Plus 2.25 percent if the maturity is less than 7 years, and Prime Plus 2.75 percent if the maturity is 7 years or more.

For loans between $25,000 and $50.000, maximum rates must not exceed Prime Plus 3.25 percent if the maturity is less than 7 years, and Prime Plus 3.75 percent if the maturity is 7 years or more.

For loans of $25,000 or less, the maximum interest rate must not exceed Prime Plus 4.25 percent if the maturity is less than 7 years, and Prime Plus 4.75 percent, if the maturity is 7 years or more.

Variable rate loans may be pegged to either the lowest prime rate or the SBA optional peg rate. The optional peg rate is a weighted average of rates the federal government pays for loans with maturities similar to the average SBA loan. It is calculated quarterly and published in the “Federal Register.” The lender and the borrower negotiate the amount of the spread which will be added to the base rate. An adjustment period is selected which will identify the frequency at which the note rate will change. It must be no more often than monthly and must be consistent, (e.g., monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually or any other defined, consistent period).

Does the SBA have a program to benefit you?

General Information on SBA Loans
All SBA loan programs lend to small businesses unable to secure financing on reasonable terms through normal lending channels. The loan programs are operated through private-sector lenders that provide loans which are, in turn, guaranteed by the SBA — the Agency has no funds for direct lending or grants. Most private lenders (banks, credit unions, etc.) are familiar with SBA loan programs so interested applicants should contact their local lender for further information and assistance in the SBA loan application process. [Many States offer small business grants.]

7(a) Loan Guaranty Program
One of the SBA’s primary loan programs, 7(a) offers loans of up to $2,000,000. (The maximum dollar amount the SBA can guaranty is generally $1 million.)
Complete loan information from SBA

Certified Development Company (CDC), a 504 Loan Program
Provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate or machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization. Typically a 504 project includes a loan secured from a private-sector lender with a senior lien, a loan secured from a CDC (funded by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40 percent of the total cost, and a contribution of at least 10 percent equity from the borrower.
Complete loan information from SBA

Microloan Program
This new program offers loans of up to $35,000 to qualified start-up, newly established, or growing small business concerns. Loans are arranged through nonprofit community based lenders (intermediaries) which, in turn, make loans to eligible borrowers. The entire Microloan process is handled on the local level, but you must go to one of the local intermediaries to apply.
Complete loan information from SBA

Targeted Loan Programs
Besides the general programs described above, the SBA offers several loans designed to meet specific needs. For complete information, just click on the program titles.

Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration is initiating a one year Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program to expedite small business financing to those communities severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Under this unique initiative, the Agency will provide its full guaranty and streamlined and centralized loan processing to qualified lending partners that agree to make expedited SBA 7(a) loans available to small businesses located in those disaster areas.
Complete loan information from SBA

Other SBA Loans
For complete information on the loan programs shown above, as well as other more specialized loans available through the SBA, see:
Financing Your Business - from the SBA.

Veterans & Disabled Persons? — Unfortunately, the SBA has not been granted funds to offer special loan programs to assist either veterans or disabled persons. However, individuals of both groups are eligible for all SBA loan guaranty programs. In addition, veterans are eligible for special consideration under SBA’s guaranty loan programs. The special consideration given veterans includes: Liaison personnel in each field office; In-depth management counseling and training assistance; and, Prompt and priority processing of any loan application.

What About Business Size?
Of course, not every business is a “small” business. To be eligible for SBA loans, your business must meet certain size restrictions.

Here you will find brief descriptions of the primary loan programs available through funding from the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). For detailed information, including qualifications, allowable uses of funds and interest rates, click on “Complete loan information from SBA.”

SBA Maximum Loan Amounts

Maximum Loan Amounts

SBA’s 7(a) Loan Program has a maximum loan amount of $2 million dollars. SBA’s maximum exposure is $1.5 million. Thus, if a business receives an SBA guaranteed loan for $2 million, the maximum guaranty to the lender will be $1.5 million or 75 percent. SBAExpress loans still have a maximum guaranty set at 50 percent

Business Size Limits for SBA Loans

How small must a business be to qualify for a Small Business Administration loan? In very general terms…

“To qualify as small business… a business concern eligible for assistance from SBA as a small business is one that is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States. It must operate primarily within the United States or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor. Together with its affiliates, it must meet the numerical size standards as defined in the Small Business Size Regulations, 13 CFR 121.” — U.S. Small Business Administration

SBA Web Site - Size Standards Information
To assist businesses with the increasingly complex subject of size standards, the SBA has recently added several resources to its Web service. Among the many resources of the SBA Office of Size Standards are:

* Tables of Size Standards - based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). Also includes a handy search tool for locating NAICS codes and SIC codes.
* Guide to SBA’s Definitions of Small Business - is a complete overview of the SBA size standards program.
* Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - because you will have questions, you need answers.
* SBA Contacts and Representatives - humans who can answer questions the Web page cannot.
* Glossary of Terms - an essential tool.

While the exact legal size specifications are very detailed and vary depending on the loan program involved, the most commonly applied maximum size standards are as follow:

* 500 employees for most manufacturing and mining industries
* 100 employees for all wholesale trade industries
* $5 million for most retail and service industries
* $17 million for most general & heavy construction industries
* $7 million for all special trade contractors
* $0.5 million for most agricultural industries

About one-fourth of industries have a size standard that is different from these levels. They vary from $0.5 million to $25.0 million for size standards based on average annual revenues and from 100 to 1500 employees for size standards based on number of employees.