Glossary · Reading the business
Personal debt
In short
This is money owed by an individual, not the business, such as mortgages, car loans, or credit card balances. It impacts your personal financial statement and global cash flow.
What it means in a deal
Lenders review your personal debt as part of your overall creditworthiness and repayment capacity for the SBA loan. High personal debt can affect your ability to qualify and may limit your equity injection options, so manage it carefully.
Official sources
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
SBA Form 1919 — Borrower Information Form
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA form
Last checked 2026-06-15. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Related terms
Common questions about Personal debt
- What if my personal credit score is strong (720+), but I have high personal debt-to-income (DTI)?
- Can I use an SBA 7(a) loan to pay off personal debt?
- Can I use an SBA 7(a) loan for debt consolidation of existing business debts?
- Can I use an SBA 7(a) loan to pay off existing personal debt?
- Can an SBA 7(a) loan be used to pay off personal credit card debt?
- Does having a high amount of personal student loan debt affect SBA 7(a) loan approval?
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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