{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/index","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/index","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":"index","term":"Index","group":"The loan itself","definition":"This is the fluctuating benchmark rate (e.g., WSJ Prime, Term SOFR) that your loan's interest rate is tied to. It changes periodically, causing your loan payments to adjust.","what_it_means":"SBA 7(a) loan interest rates are variable, based on an index plus a fixed margin. Your loan agreement will specify which index is used and how often it adjusts. Understand the historical volatility of your chosen index to anticipate payment fluctuations.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/index","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":"margin","term":"Margin","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/margin"},{"slug":"variable-rate","term":"Variable rate","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/variable-rate"},{"slug":"wsj-prime","term":"WSJ Prime","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/wsj-prime"},{"slug":"sofr","term":"SOFR","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sofr"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Are SBA 7(a) loan interest rates typically fixed or variable, and what base rate index is commonly used?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-sba-7-a-loan-interest-rates-typically-fixed-or-variable-and-what-base-rate-index-is-co"}]},"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 — Index","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/index","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}