Glossary · The loan itself
Credit Policy
In short
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 in a deal
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.
Related terms
Common questions about Credit Policy
- What are the SBA's current policy expectations for documentation of a lender's independent credit analysis for 7(a) Small Loans?
- What defines 'insurable interest' for a business life insurance policy?
- Who is responsible for paying premiums on a business life insurance policy?
- Who typically owns the life insurance policy on a seller post-acquisition?
- What is the specific SBA policy document that addresses collateral life insurance requirements?
- Who owns and is the beneficiary of a key-person life insurance policy?
Defined by CapBench SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-15 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
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