{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/prudent-servicing-practice","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/prudent-servicing-practice","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":"prudent-servicing-practice","term":"Prudent servicing practice","group":"The loan itself","definition":"This refers to the reasonable and responsible actions a lender takes to manage and collect on a loan, protecting both their and the SBA's interests.","what_it_means":"SBA lenders must follow prudent servicing practices, meaning they act like any reasonable commercial lender would to protect the loan. If a lender fails to do so, the SBA can deny or reduce the guaranty payment if the loan defaults. This impacts how a lender manages your loan post-closing.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/prudent-servicing-practice","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":"servicing","term":"Servicing","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/servicing"},{"slug":"loan-default","term":"Loan default","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/loan-default"},{"slug":"servicing-deficiency","term":"Servicing deficiency","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/servicing-deficiency"},{"slug":"origination","term":"Origination","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/origination"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Are there annual servicing fees or other recurring charges beyond the SBA servicing fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-annual-servicing-fees-or-other-recurring-charges-beyond-the-sba-servicing-fee"},{"question":"What servicing actions require prior written SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-servicing-actions-require-prior-written-sba-approval"},{"question":"What constitutes prudent lending standards for SBA 7(a) underwriting?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-constitutes-prudent-lending-standards-for-sba-7-a-underwriting"},{"question":"How is the ongoing servicing fee calculated and remitted to the SBA?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-is-the-ongoing-servicing-fee-calculated-and-remitted-to-the-sba"},{"question":"Which servicing actions can a 7(a) lender take without prior SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/which-servicing-actions-can-a-7-a-lender-take-without-prior-sba-approval"},{"question":"What servicing actions can a 7(a) lender take without prior SBA approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-servicing-actions-can-a-7-a-lender-take-without-prior-sba-approval"}]},"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 — Prudent servicing practice","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/prudent-servicing-practice","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}