{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/credit-policy","api_url":"https://www.capbench.com/api/public/glossary/credit-policy","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-17","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","CapBench lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"credit-policy","term":"Credit Policy","group":"The loan itself","definition":"A lender's internal guidelines and standards for evaluating borrower creditworthiness, managing risk, and approving loans. These often go beyond the SBA's minimum requirements.","what_it_means":"Each SBA lender has its own Credit Policy, which might be stricter than the SBA's baseline Eligibility Rules. For example, some lenders may require higher FICO scores or lower debt-to-income ratios than the SBA mandates. Understand your chosen lender's specific policy to ensure you meet their internal hurdles, not just the SBA's.","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/credit-policy","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"creditworthiness","term":"Creditworthiness","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/creditworthiness"},{"slug":"fico-score","term":"FICO score","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/fico-score"},{"slug":"eligibility-rule","term":"Eligibility Rule","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/eligibility-rule"},{"slug":"prudent-lending-standards","term":"Prudent lending standards","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/prudent-lending-standards"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What are the SBA's current policy expectations for documentation of a lender's independent credit analysis for 7(a) Small Loans?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-sba-s-current-policy-expectations-for-documentation-of-a-lender-s-independent"},{"question":"What defines 'insurable interest' for a business life insurance policy?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/sba-7a/questions/what-defines-insurable-interest-for-a-business-life-insurance-policy"},{"question":"Who is responsible for paying premiums on a business life insurance policy?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/sba-7a/questions/who-is-responsible-for-paying-premiums-on-a-business-life-insurance-policy"},{"question":"Who typically owns the life insurance policy on a seller post-acquisition?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/sba-7a/questions/who-typically-owns-the-life-insurance-policy-on-a-seller-post-acquisition"},{"question":"What is the specific SBA policy document that addresses collateral life insurance requirements?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-specific-sba-policy-document-that-addresses-collateral-life-insurance-requirem"},{"question":"Who owns and is the beneficiary of a key-person life insurance policy?","url":"https://www.capbench.com/sba-7a/questions/who-owns-and-is-the-beneficiary-of-a-key-person-life-insurance-policy"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent CapBench's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"CapBench Glossary — Credit Policy","url":"https://www.capbench.com/glossary/credit-policy","source_type":"CapBench Data"}}