{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/variable-rate","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/variable-rate","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":"variable-rate","term":"Variable rate","group":"The loan itself","definition":"Your interest rate moves with WSJ Prime, usually adjusting quarterly. Most 7(a) loans work this way.","what_it_means":"Almost every SBA 7(a) loan is variable-rate, which means your monthly payment can go up or down as Prime changes. The SBA caps how much a lender can add on top (the spread), but the base rate is out of everyone's hands. When you're modeling debt service, most buyers use the current rate plus one or two percentage points as a stress-test scenario — if the deal still works there, you have real margin of safety.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/variable-rate","official_sources":[{"slug":"terms-conditions-eligibility","title":"7(a) Loan Program — Terms, Conditions, and Eligibility","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/partners/lenders/7a-loan-program/terms-conditions-eligibility","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":5,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/terms-conditions-eligibility"}],"related":[{"slug":"wsj-prime","term":"WSJ Prime","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/wsj-prime"},{"slug":"spread","term":"Spread","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/spread"},{"slug":"dscr","term":"DSCR","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/dscr"},{"slug":"term-maturity","term":"Term / maturity","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/term-maturity"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What specific alternative base rates are permissible for variable rate 7(a) loans?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-specific-alternative-base-rates-are-permissible-for-variable-rate-7-a-loans"},{"question":"What alternative base rates are available for variable-rate 7(a) loans besides the Wall Street Journal Prime rate?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-alternative-base-rates-are-available-for-variable-rate-7-a-loans-besides-the-wall-str"},{"question":"What are the maximum allowable interest rates for variable rate 7(a) loans, including the permissible spread?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-maximum-allowable-interest-rates-for-variable-rate-7-a-loans-including-the-pe"},{"question":"What alternative base rate options are available for variable rate 7(a) loans?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-alternative-base-rate-options-are-available-for-variable-rate-7-a-loans"},{"question":"What are the current alternative base rate options for variable rate 7(a) loans, besides Prime Rate?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-current-alternative-base-rate-options-for-variable-rate-7-a-loans-besides-pri"},{"question":"Are fixed-rate or variable-rate options more common for SBA 7(a) loans?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/are-fixed-rate-or-variable-rate-options-more-common-for-sba-7-a-loans"}]},"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 — Variable rate","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/variable-rate","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}