Apply Now arrow

Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexsuperscriptstartTMsuperscruptend Reports Approval Rates at Big Banks Reached Post-Recession High in June 2014

A Sign of Strength in the Economy

Big banks are now approving one-in-five small business loan applications, a post-recession high, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexsuperscriptstartTMsuperscruptend, the monthly analysis of 1,000 loan applications on Biz2Credit.com for June 2014. Meanwhile, small banks, though down by two-tenths of a percent, are granting more than half of requests they receive from entrepreneurs.

Big Banks

Big Banks

Small business loan approval rates at big banks ($10 billion+ in assets) rose to 20% in June from 19.6% in May, while approval rates at small banks slipped to 51.4% from to 51.6% last month.

Aug 2018
26.5%
Sep 2018
26.7%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2018
26.5%
Sep 2018
26.7%

Yearly Comparison

"The strong return of banks in small business lending indicates three things: overall improving economy, entrepreneur confidence that they will be able to borrow for expansion and repay the loans, and the increasing ease and popularity of SBA lending." "This is a sign that the economy continues along the right path.

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Economy

"Higher EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) that small businesses are showing in their financial documents substantially increases their chances of securing conventional financing. They are using this funding for upgrades such as building and equipment purchases. The types of purchases that small business owners are making are an excellent sign for the U.S. economy."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Small Banks

Small Banks

The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexsuperscriptstartTMsuperscruptend also reported that approval rates by credit unions and alternative lenders were relatively unchanged, while institutional lenders continued slow but steady growth in approval percentage. In June, loan approval rates at credit unions improved slightly to 43.7% from 43.6% in May, while approval rates by alternative lenders slipped for the fifth consecutive month to 63.2% in June, from 63.3% in May

Jul 2018
49.7%
Aug 2018
49.8%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2017
49%
Aug 2018
49.8%

Yearly Comparison

"As the economy improves, businesses are able to get funding from traditional sources, and they are less desperate. Thus, they no longer need to borrow at any cost". "We are starting to see a flight away from short-term, high-cost money, such as cash advances. Many players continue to jump into this category, but they have missed the boat. Cash advance as a funding option may have indeed reached its peak."

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

Institutional lenders

Institutional lenders

Institutional lenders granted 59.2% of the funding requests they received in June, a slight increase from 59.1% in May. These institutions include insurance companies, credit funds, family funds, and other yield-hungry, non-bank financial institutions. They typically offer more competitively priced loan options than alternative lenders in amounts up to $1 million.

Jul 2018
64.8%
Aug 2018
64.9%

Monthly Comparison

Jul 2018
63.9%
Aug 2018
64.9%

Yearly Comparison

Credit unions

Credit unions

In June, loan approval rates at credit unions improved slightly to 43.7% from 43.6% in May, while approval rates by alternative lenders slipped for the fifth consecutive month to 63.2% in June, from 63.3% in May

Jul 2018
40.3%
Aug 2018
40.2%

Monthly Comparison

Aug 2017
40.3%
Aug 2018
40.2%

Yearly Comparison

"As the economy improves, businesses are able to get funding from traditional sources, and they are less desperate. Thus, they no longer need to borrow at any cost,"

Rohit Arora

Rohit Arora, Biz2Credit CEO

View Past Months

Access Archives

About Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM

The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM is an analysis of 1,000 monthly loan applications on the Biz2Credit website. The Index reports the loan approval rates of small business financing requests at Big Banks ($10 billion+ in assets), local and regional banks and non-bank lenders (credit unions, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), micro lenders, and others).

Unlike other surveys, the results are based on primary data submitted by more than 1,000 entrepreneurs who applied for funding on Biz2Credit's online lending platform, which connects small business borrowers with sources of capital.

Results of the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending IndexTM have been reported by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur.com, Bloomberg Radio's "The Hays Advantage", SBA Radio, NY Daily News, Crain's NY Business, Michigan Banker, and other media.

Sign up for our newsletter

Join 200,000+ businesses that get insights, advice, and news from Biz2Credit.