{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/credit-file","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/credit-file","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"credit-file","term":"Credit file","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"A collection of information about your past borrowing and repayment behavior, maintained by credit bureaus. Lenders use this to assess your creditworthiness.","what_it_means":"Your credit file contains your credit report and FICO score. Lenders will pull this for all key principals to evaluate your repayment capacity and risk. Review your own credit file well before applying to identify and dispute any errors or derogatory marks.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/credit-file","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"credit-report","term":"Credit report","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/credit-report"},{"slug":"fico-score","term":"FICO score","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/fico-score"},{"slug":"creditworthiness","term":"Creditworthiness","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/creditworthiness"},{"slug":"repayment-capacity","term":"Repayment capacity","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/repayment-capacity"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"How does the SBA typically review a lender's loan file in the context of a secondary market audit?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-the-sba-typically-review-a-lender-s-loan-file-in-the-context-of-a-secondary-marke"},{"question":"What specific documentation is now required in the loan file for 7(a) Small Loans following the sunset of the SBSS score?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-specific-documentation-is-now-required-in-the-loan-file-for-7-a-small-loans-following"},{"question":"What if my personal credit report shows a recent late payment on a minor credit card?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-my-personal-credit-report-shows-a-recent-late-payment-on-a-minor-credit-card"},{"question":"Does having many recent credit inquiries on my personal credit report affect SBA 7(a) loan approval chances?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-having-many-recent-credit-inquiries-on-my-personal-credit-report-affect-sba-7-a-loan-"},{"question":"Does the sunset of the SBSS score impact the requirement for a credit memo or documented credit analysis for 7(a) Small Loans?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/does-the-sunset-of-the-sbss-score-impact-the-requirement-for-a-credit-memo-or-documented-c"},{"question":"What happens if the seller's note holder files for bankruptcy during my SBA loan term?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-happens-if-the-seller-s-note-holder-files-for-bankruptcy-during-my-sba-loan-term"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Credit file","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/credit-file","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}