Small Business Loan Approval Percentages Rose for Banks and Non-Bank Lenders in November 2017, According to Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexsuperscriptstartTMsuperscruptend

Study reports new record highs for big banks and institutional investors as every category of lenders improved in November

ahrefstartbusiness loanahrefend approval rates for each category of lenders covered by the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexsuperscriptstartTMsuperscruptend rose in November 2017. The monthly analysis of more than 1,000 small business loan applications on Biz2Credit.com saw small business loan approval rates at big banks (25.1%) and institutional lenders (64.1%) reach new high points last month.

Big Banks

Big Banks

ahrefstartSmall business loanahrefend approval rates at big banks climbed one-tenth of a percent in November 25.1% reach new high points last month.
Aug 2018
26.5%
Sep 2018
26.7%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2018
26.5%
Sep 2018
26.7%

Yearly Comparison

"There was a lot of pent up demand for small business credit in the marketplace. With the economy performing well on a number of different levels, borrowers are more confident in their abilities to grow their businesses and to be able to pay the money back"

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Economy

"The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates from their historic lows, and regulation of the banking industry is subsiding under Trump. Banks both large and small are more likely to lend under the current atmosphere."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Small Banks

Small Banks

The Small Business Administration (SBA) changed its equity requirements for Commercial Real Estate loans. The Trump tax cut plan has sparked optimism among business owners. The pro-business climate in Washington has proven helpful. Approval percentages at big banks and institutional lenders climbed one-tenth of a percent in November. Small banks saw a similar rise to 49% in November, up from 48.9% in October.

Jul 2018
49.7%
Aug 2018
49.8%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2017
49%
Aug 2018
49.8%

Yearly Comparison

"Small banks process a lot of SBA-backed loans, and according to recent figures released by the agency, the current fiscal year has already seen a record amount of SBA lending," added Arora, one of the country's leading experts in small business finance. "This is particularly good news for startups and young companies that may not yet have a strong credit history. It is certainly less challenging now to secure funding than it was just a few years after the post-recession credit crunch."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Institutional lenders

Institutional lenders

Loan approval rates in institutional lenders climbed one-tenth of a percent in November 64.1% reach new high points last month.

Jul 2018
64.8%
Aug 2018
64.9%

Monthly Comparison

Jul 2018
63.9%
Aug 2018
64.9%

Yearly Comparison

"The economy is doing well, the jobs report was solid, and investors from beyond America's shores are entering the small business credit marketplace with success," added Arora. "All of these factors instill confidence in business owners who are contemplating start-up funding or expansion financing."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Alternative lenders

Alternative lenders

Loan approval rates among alternative lenders rose after more than a year of consecutive declines in approval percentages. Alternative lenders granted a percent 56.9% in November, a slight increase over October's 56.8%.

Jul 2018
56.5%
Aug 2018
56.6%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2017
57.1%
Aug 2018
56.6%

Yearly Comparison

"Even companies with bad credit histories are currently feeling confident in borrowing. Alternative lenders are taking on more risk because the higher quality borrowers are approaching traditional banks and institutional lenders," ."The solid economy makes consumers willing to spend and results in business optimism - especially for companies looking to expand."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Credit unions

Credit unions

Loan approval rates at credit unions also turned around in November, as they approved 40.3% of loan applications in November, up a tenth of a percent from October's record low point for the category.

Jul 2018
40.3%
Aug 2018
40.2%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2017
40.3%
Aug 2018
40.2%

Yearly Comparison

"Every category of lender saw higher approval percentage rates last month. It's a good time for borrowers and also for lenders," Arora added.

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

View Past Months

Access Archives

October 2023

Small Business Loan Approvals Dropped at Big Banks, Rose at Small Banks and Alternative Lenders in October 2023: Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index™

Loan approval rates at institutional investors and alternative lenders increase for 10th consecutive month, while credit union approval rate returns to all-time Index low.

View Report
September 2023

Small Business Loan Approvals Slid at Big Banks, Rose at Other Lenders in September: Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index™

Loan approval percentages rose at regional and community banks and non-bank lenders.

View Report
August 2023

Business Loan Approvals at Big Banks and Credit Unions Continued to Slide in August: Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index™

Big bank lending to small businesses has stalled for over a year, while credit unions return to an all-time low. Loan approval percentages rose at regional and community banks and non-bank lenders.

View Report
July 2023

Business Loan Approvals at Big Banks Continue to Drop, While Other Lenders Increased in July: Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index™

Big bank approvals have declined steadily over the past 12 months. Approval percentages rose at small banks, institutional investors, and alternative lenders in July 2023.

View Report

About Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM

The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM is an analysis of 1,000 monthly loan applications on the Biz2Credit website. The Index reports the loan approval rates of small business financing requests at Big Banks ($10 billion+ in assets), local and regional banks and non-bank lenders (credit unions, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), micro lenders, and others).

Unlike other surveys, the results are based on primary data submitted by more than 1,000 entrepreneurs who applied for funding on Biz2Credit's online lending platform, which connects small business borrowers with sources of capital.

Results of the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM have been reported by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur.com, Bloomberg Radio's "The Hays Advantage", SBA Radio, NY Daily News, Crain's NY Business, Michigan Banker, and other media.

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