{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-rate-to-expect-sba-7a-loan","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/questions/what-rate-to-expect-sba-7a-loan","question":"What interest rate should I expect on an SBA 7(a) loan?","topic":"Rates and fees","audience":"borrower","bot_mode":"buyer","short_answer":"On a 7(a) acquisition loan over $350K, expect a variable rate near WSJ Prime plus up to 3.0% (the regulatory cap); strong files price a quarter to three-quarters of a point under the cap.","rule":"SBA caps the lender's spread over Prime by loan size — 3.0% on loans over $350K, higher on smaller loans (13 CFR 120.213–215). The rate floats with Prime, repricing quarterly, so it falls automatically when the Fed cuts. The cap is a ceiling, not a quote: lenders price to the file.","example":"Take today's WSJ Prime, add the cap for your loan size to get the maximum, then expect a strong file to land under it. Run the monthly payment at the cap to stress-test the deal, since that's the worst case at signing.","what_lenders_check":"Lenders set the spread on credit, cash-flow coverage (DSCR), and experience. A 690 with 1.5x coverage often prices better than a 760 with 1.15x — the business's ability to pay drives the rate as much as your score.","required_facts":[],"source_families":["13 CFR 120.213–215 (interest rates)"],"official_sources":[{"title":"13 CFR 120.213–215 (interest rates)","url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120"}],"related_questions":[],"related_terms":[{"term":"SBA 7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-7-a-loan"},{"term":"7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/7a-loan"},{"term":"Variable-rate 7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/variable-rate-7-a-loan"},{"term":"SBA 7(a) Loan Program","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-7-a-loan-program"},{"term":"SBA 7(a) loan guaranty","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-7-a-loan-guaranty"},{"term":"SBA 7(a) program","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-7-a-program"}],"related_tools":[{"name":"SBA 7(a) payment calculator","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/calculator"}],"data_freshness":{"last_reviewed":"2026-06-16","sba_rule_sources_checked_through":"2026-06-16"},"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so SBA 7(a) Q&A","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-rate-to-expect-sba-7a-loan","source_type":"DealRoom Q&A"},"caveats":["Grounded in the current SBA rulebook; verify against official sources before relying on it for a live deal.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice and not an approval decision."]}