{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unencumbered-fund","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/unencumbered-fund","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":"unencumbered-fund","term":"Unencumbered Fund","group":"Your money in the deal","definition":"This refers to cash or assets you provide for the equity injection that are free from any liens, pledges, or restrictions. The SBA requires your equity injection to be truly yours and not borrowed against other assets.","what_it_means":"For your SBA 7(a) loan, your down payment (equity injection) must come from unencumbered funds. This means you can't use a loan against your home (like a HELOC) or other assets to fund it, unless that loan is fully subordinated to the SBA loan. Provide bank statements or brokerage statements showing clear ownership and seasoning of these funds.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unencumbered-fund","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":"equity-injection","term":"Equity injection","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/equity-injection"},{"slug":"seasoned-funds","term":"Seasoned funds","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/seasoned-funds"},{"slug":"unencumbered","term":"Unencumbered","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unencumbered"},{"slug":"standby-agreement","term":"Standby agreement","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/standby-agreement"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What if my equity injection includes funds from a personal loan secured by my unencumbered investment property?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-my-equity-injection-includes-funds-from-a-personal-loan-secured-by-my-unencumbered"},{"question":"How does the SBA define 'unencumbered cash' for equity injection purposes?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-the-sba-define-unencumbered-cash-for-equity-injection-purposes"},{"question":"How does a lender verify equity injection funds originating from a personal loan secured by the borrower's unencumbered investment property?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-a-lender-verify-equity-injection-funds-originating-from-a-personal-loan-secured-b"},{"question":"What exactly constitutes \"unencumbered liquid assets\" as a source for the required equity injection?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-exactly-constitutes-unencumbered-liquid-assets-as-a-source-for-the-required-equity-in"},{"question":"Can an investor fund my SBA 7(a) down payment?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-an-investor-fund-my-sba-7-a-down-payment"},{"question":"How does life insurance effectively fund a business buy-sell agreement?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-life-insurance-effectively-fund-a-business-buy-sell-agreement"}]},"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 — Unencumbered Fund","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/unencumbered-fund","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}