We read the loan agreements, convert the factor rates, and publish what the lenders would rather you skimmed. Then we point you at the application with your eyes open.
Takes 2 minutes · No impact to your credit score
A prepayment penalty on your mortgage complicates debt consolidation via cash-out refinance. Learn the break-even APR calculation to decide if the deal
Eighteen categories, each with plain-English guides on what qualifies, what it costs, and what to watch for.
A prepayment penalty on your mortgage complicates debt consolidation via cash-out refinance. Learn the break-even APR calculation to decide if the deal
A debt consolidation loan's origination fee adds hidden cost to your mortgage APR. Learn how a 3% fee can raise your true rate by...
Compare debt consolidation loan APR vs. mortgage APR to decide which debt to pay off first. Improving your credit score before refinancing means
Debt consolidation can lift your credit score by 15-30 points, offsetting the dip from student loan deferment. Time it right before a mortgage application...
Trading high-APR student loans for a lower-rate mortgage via cash-out refinance can save thousands in interest, but the credit score impact and risk of
A cash-out refinance can consolidate high-APR debts and replace a predatory mortgage with a fair one. Learn the math, the risks, and the step-by-step
Move the sliders to see what a loan actually costs before you talk to anyone.
$2,354/mo
Estimates only, using simple amortization. Actual offers depend on the lender, your credit profile, and time in business. Not an offer of credit.
Sources: Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey and SBA lending reports. Figures are illustrative until you connect live data.
Ranked by readers over the last 30 days.
If you are new to business credit, work through these in order.
What business owners told us after using our guides to prepare an application.
The factor rate explainer saved us. We were about to sign an advance that would have cost us 68% APR without realising it.
I walked into the bank with every document on their checklist. Underwriting took nine days instead of the six weeks I was quoted.
Straight answers, no lender fluff. The SBA 504 breakdown is the only one I have read that actually explained the two-loan structure.
Every guide fact-checked
Editor-in-Chief · Former SBA 7(a) underwriter
Dana spent nine years underwriting SBA 7(a) and 504 files at a national bank before moving to journalism. She has reviewed more than 2,000 small business credit applications and now writes the guides she wishes borrowers had brought to her desk.
It depends entirely on the product. SBA 7(a) lenders typically look for 680 or better. Online term lenders often start around 600. Merchant cash advances and invoice financing weigh your revenue and receivables more heavily than your personal score, and some approve at 500.
Online lenders can fund in one to three business days. Bank term loans usually take two to four weeks. SBA loans are the slowest, commonly 30 to 90 days, because of the eligibility review and documentation the program requires.
Pre-qualification uses a soft credit pull, which does not affect your score. A hard pull only happens later, once you accept an offer and move to a formal application. Always confirm which type of pull a lender is running before you submit.
A factor rate is a multiplier on the amount advanced, so a 1.3 factor on $50,000 means you repay $65,000. Because it is repaid over a short window, the equivalent APR is usually far higher than the factor rate suggests. Always convert to APR before you compare offers.
Yes, but the menu shrinks. Most banks want two years. Online lenders often accept six months of operating history with consistent deposits, and equipment financing can work from day one because the equipment itself secures the loan.
No. We are a publisher. We research lenders, explain products, and point you to an application page where a licensed partner reviews your business. Every credit decision is made by a lender, not by us.
See the offers you actually qualify for before you spend a week filling in bank paperwork. Checking takes about two minutes.
Two minutes from McGill station. Walk in, sit down, and have someone read your numbers back to you in plain English.