Glossary · The loan itself
In short
The base interest rate published by the Wall Street Journal. Your rate is Prime plus a spread.
WSJ Prime is the floating benchmark that anchors 7(a) loan rates — it moves with the federal funds rate and is reset whenever the Fed acts. Lenders quote your rate as 'Prime + X%' where X is the spread they're adding. If Prime is 7.5% and your spread is 2.75%, your rate is 10.25%. Track Prime at the time you're modeling a deal, and remember it can move between letter of intent and closing.
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 2026-06-14 · 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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