#small-business-loans
Small business loan options and application guides
Roughly two dozen fintechs, including Mercury and Upstart, applied for or received OCC national bank charters in 2026 — up from 14 applications in all of 2025 — to escape the sponsor-bank model exposed by the 2024 Synapse collapse and get direct FDIC insurance, lending authority, and payment-rail access.
Effective March 1, 2026, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans require 100% of direct and indirect owners to be U.S. citizens or nationals with a U.S. principal residence — green card holders no longer qualify — and the FICO SBSS score is retired in favor of a 1.10 minimum debt service coverage ratio and full commercial credit analysis. Here's who's affected and how to prepare.
A practical breakdown of Form 4506-T, Form 4506-C, Form 8821, and the five IRS transcript types — what mortgage and SBA lenders need before first disbursement, and how borrowers can avoid identity holds, name mismatches, and no-record errors that stall closings.
A founder-focused roadmap for preparing your books in Beancount, choosing the right lender, and submitting a winning small business loan application.
