Financing
What business loans actually cost, who makes them and how often they go wrong, measured from the federal records.
These studies are built on SBA's public file of every 7(a) loan it guarantees. Each one is rebuilt when SBA releases a new quarter of data.
Guide
SBA Express vs. standard 7(a): what 17,380 Express loans show
An SBA Express loan carries half the guaranty of a standard 7(a) loan. In the loan records Express loans are smaller, mostly lines of credit, no more expensive at the same size, and charged off less often.
Updated October 6, 2026
Data study
How long does an SBA loan take to fund? What 78,078 approvals show
SBA's records time every 7(a) loan from approval to first payout. Half were funded within 21 days, one in ten took more than 83, and 18% of approvals were cancelled first.
Updated October 6, 2026
Data study
The 69 busiest SBA 7(a) lenders, and what each one charges
1,201 lenders made an SBA 7(a) loan in the last year. We list the 69 that made at least 100, with each one's typical rate, loan size and share of fixed-rate loans.
Updated October 5, 2026
Data study
SBA loan default rates by industry: what happened to 478,963 loans
We followed every SBA 7(a) loan made from 2010 to 2019. 7.1% were charged off. See the rate for 73 industries, by loan size, and how long failure takes.
Updated October 5, 2026
Data study
SBA 7(a) loan rates in 2026: what 49,520 borrowers were actually charged
We read every SBA 7(a) loan approved from July 2025 to June 2026. The median rate was 9.5%. See rates by loan size, lender type, state and industry.
Updated October 5, 2026