Glossary · The loan itself
In short
The legal duty to repay borrowed money. This includes the principal and interest on all loans, both business and personal.
Lenders evaluate all your existing debt obligations, personal and business, to assess your global cash flow and overall repayment capacity. Your personal financial statement and credit report will detail these. High existing debt can impact your eligibility for a new 7(a) loan, as it reduces your debt service coverage ratio.
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
Last checked 2026-06-15. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Defined by DealRoom.so SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-15 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
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Tell us the business, the price, and where you are — we'll point you to the lenders most likely to approve a 7(a) like yours and flag what trips up approval.
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