Best Secured Business Loans
Best Secured Business Loans
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SBA 7(a) loan
Best for large loan amounts
Pros
- Large borrowing maximums.
- Interest rates are capped.
- Long repayment terms available.
Cons
- Collateral is typically required.
- Longer processing times than online lenders.
SBA 7(a) loan
Best for large loan amounts
Pros
- Large borrowing maximums.
- Interest rates are capped.
- Long repayment terms available.
Cons
- Collateral is typically required.
- Longer processing times than online lenders.
SBA microloan
Best for bad-credit borrowers
Pros
- Can be used for a variety of funding purposes.
- Designed to finance traditionally underserved businesses.
- Startups and business owners with bad credit may be able to qualify.
- Competitive interest rates, low fees and long repayment terms.
- Intermediaries typically offer business training and educational resources.
Cons
- Loan amounts max out at $50,000.
- Can’t be used to pay existing debt or purchase real estate.
- Collateral is likely required.
- Slow funding timeline.
SBA microloan
Best for bad-credit borrowers
Pros
- Can be used for a variety of funding purposes.
- Designed to finance traditionally underserved businesses.
- Startups and business owners with bad credit may be able to qualify.
- Competitive interest rates, low fees and long repayment terms.
- Intermediaries typically offer business training and educational resources.
Cons
- Loan amounts max out at $50,000.
- Can’t be used to pay existing debt or purchase real estate.
- Collateral is likely required.
- Slow funding timeline.
Pros
- Can fund within one to two business days.
- No prepayment penalty.
- Flexible repayment options: monthly, quarterly, annually or semiannually.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
Triton Capital - Equipment financing
Best for buying equipment
Pros
- Can fund within one to two business days.
- No prepayment penalty.
- Flexible repayment options: monthly, quarterly, annually or semiannually.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
Pros
- Cash can be available within two business days.
- Competitive rates among online lenders.
- Terms up to seven years.
- iBusiness Funding also offers SBA loans up to $5 million.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
- Must be in business for a minimum of 24 months.
- Minimum credit score is higher than some other lenders.
iBusiness Funding - Online term loan
Best for Fast financing
Pros
- Cash can be available within two business days.
- Competitive rates among online lenders.
- Terms up to seven years.
- iBusiness Funding also offers SBA loans up to $5 million.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
- Must be in business for a minimum of 24 months.
- Minimum credit score is higher than some other lenders.
Pros
- High maximum credit line amount.
- Competitive interest rates and repayment terms.
Cons
- Can’t apply online.
- Origination fee charged at opening and annual renewal.
Wells Fargo Prime Line of Credit
Best for flexibility
Pros
- High maximum credit line amount.
- Competitive interest rates and repayment terms.
Cons
- Can’t apply online.
- Origination fee charged at opening and annual renewal.
Pros
- Competitive interest rates.
- Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program can offer interest rate discounts and other perks.
- Fee discounts available for veteran-owned businesses.
Cons
- Strong eligibility criteria required.
- Can be slow to fund.
- Application cannot be completed online.
- Charges an origination fee.
- Prepayment fees may apply to early repayments.
Bank of America Business Advantage Secured Term Loan
Best for best interest rates
Pros
- Competitive interest rates.
- Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program can offer interest rate discounts and other perks.
- Fee discounts available for veteran-owned businesses.
Cons
- Strong eligibility criteria required.
- Can be slow to fund.
- Application cannot be completed online.
- Charges an origination fee.
- Prepayment fees may apply to early repayments.
What is a secured business loan?
How to secure a business loan
- Property. This can include business and personal assets, such as real estate, office or manufacturing equipment, cars or your home.
- Equipment. Equipment you already own can be used as collateral. However, you can also get self-securing financing, in which the equipment you’re looking to buy serves as collateral on the loan. This is known as equipment financing.
- Inventory. Similar to equipment, inventory can be used to secure a loan in two ways. You can use existing inventory as collateral, or you can get inventory financing, in which you use a loan to buy new inventory and that inventory then serves as collateral on the loan.
- Invoices. You can use your outstanding customer invoices as collateral to get a cash advance from a lender. Also known as invoice factoring, lenders advance you a percentage of your unpaid invoice amount, and when your customer pays the invoice, you receive the remaining percentage minus the company’s fees.
- Savings. You can use the cash in your bank account to secure a business loan. Some lenders may prefer cash because it’s the most liquid type of collateral.
- Personal guarantee. A personal guarantee is a legal agreement that holds you personally responsible for your business’s debt and allows the lender to claim your personal assets to cover the debt if your business can’t pay. Sometimes, adding a second person to guarantee the loan, or a business cosigner, can also serve as a way to secure a business loan.
- Uniform Commercial Code lien. A UCC lien gives a lender the right to seize your business’s assets if you can’t repay your loan. A UCC lien is an official document, typically filed with the applicable secretary of state’s office after you’ve signed your loan agreement. Lenders may file a UCC lien on specific business assets such as equipment, or they’ll file a blanket lien, which covers all assets.
Types of secured business loans
SBA loans
Business term loans
Business line of credit
Equipment financing
Commercial real estate loans
Secured vs. unsecured business loans
Secured business loans | Unsecured business loans | |
---|---|---|
Collateral requirements | Typically require physical or financial collateral and may also require a UCC lien or personal guarantee. | Typically require a UCC lien or personal guarantee. |
Loan terms | Tend to be longer because your collateral reduces the lender’s risk. | Tend to be shorter so the lender can be repaid quickly. |
Interest rates | May be lower than unsecured business loans, depending on the lender and your overall qualifications. | May be higher than secured business loans, depending on the lender and your overall qualifications. |
Pros and cons of secured business loans
Using collateral to reduce risk for the lender may help you access larger loan amounts, lower interest rates and longer repayment terms.
Collateral may increase chances of approval; can help newer businesses or borrowers with bad credit qualify.
Assets you use as collateral are at risk if you can’t repay your financing.
Can be slower to fund than unsecured loans, especially if the lender requires an appraisal of your collateral.
How to get a secured business loan
1. Determine your funding needs
2. Evaluate your qualifications
3. Identify and assess the value of your collateral
4. Compare secured business lenders
🤓 Nerdy Tip
As you compare different small-business lenders, you’ll want to look into factors such as collateral requirements, interest rates, fees, repayment terms, available loan amounts and funding speed. You should also consider a lender’s other qualification requirements, customer service and reputation.5. Gather your documentation and apply
- Basic information about you and your business.
- Business and personal tax returns.
- Business and personal bank statements.
- Business financial statements.
- Detailed information about your collateral.
- Lease agreements.
- Existing business debt schedule, if applicable.
6. Review your loan agreement
Alternatives to secured business loans
- Unsecured business loans. If you lack existing collateral, unsecured business loans may be a worthwhile option. These loans aren’t secured with physical assets, but they will typically require a personal guarantee and/or UCC lien. Remember that some funding — like equipment loans or commercial real estate loans — can be secured with the property you’re financing. You don’t necessarily need collateral before you apply to get these kinds of secured loans.
- Accounts receivable factoring. Accounts receivable factoring is a type of funding in which you sell your company’s unpaid invoices to a factoring company. This type of financing can be a good option for borrowers with bad or limited credit histories. Because you’re selling your unpaid invoices, factoring companies tend to rely more heavily on your customers’ credit and payment histories when evaluating your application.
- Business credit cards. Business credit cards offer flexible financing to businesses of all ages. In particular, startups can use business credit cards to pay for everyday purchases, as approval is based on your personal credit history.To avoid accruing expensive interest, however, you’ll want to make sure you can pay off your balance every month. Like online business loans, business credit cards usually require you to sign a personal guarantee.
- Small-business grants. If you want to avoid debt altogether, you might consider applying for small-business grants. Grants offer free access to funds that don’t need to be repaid. Although grant applications can be time-consuming and competitive, the process will be worth it if you can get funding. Business grants can be a particularly good option for companies involved in research and technology — as they may be able to qualify for federal grant programs.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology
Wondering if you qualify?
It’s possible to get a business loan even if you have bad credit. Bad-credit business loans are available from alternative sources, like online or nonprofit lenders.