Are you ready to apply for a business loan for your company? Review our need to know business terms so you know what you are getting out of your loan.
Book a Consultation CallBe mindful of your business loan's terms and conditions
Do you know that a large number of loan applicants sign the paperwork without understanding the business terms?
Before you submit your business loan application form, read this guide to understand the common terms used by lenders. It’ll help you apply for the best business loan and understand the lingo used by most lenders
Interestingly, business loans can stretch for a few weeks to 25 years. In this industry, the word "terms" ordinarily alludes to the amount of time taken to reimburse the loan and interest to the lender.
Let me take you via some of the details of the loan terms and terminologies. They’ll help you know what you’re getting into when applying for a loan.
Behind SBA loans, these loans range from 3 to 10 years and come with the longest finance terms. They’re not easy to qualify and are not accessed by most small business owners.
These provides the longest loan terms in the business market. Loan terms in this category depend on the SBA loan programs they are lent through. Below are the three familiar SBA loan programs:
Similarly, this is another type of funding that provides prolonged business loan terms and covers one to five years. However, despite being applied via optional lenders, medium-term loans function like traditional bank loans. Their loan term provides a longer repayment period as compared to several other online business credit alternatives.
Do you know invoice financing provides extremely short-term solutions to business people? Its finance terms cover 3 to 6 months, and outstanding invoices secure the funding.
Usually, the loan term is determined by the amount of time taken by the customer to fulfill the invoice. As a result, invoice financing firms accept three to six weeks of outstanding invoices.
As the name implies, these range from 3 to 18 months. You’ll have a lower cost of capital and provides small amounts of loans that are quicker time-to-fund. Short-term loans are impacted by the year or less repayment term.
This can be medium-term or short-term in nature. Hence, the usual loan term you see attached to credit business line varies broadly from 6 months to 5 years.
Are you aware that the equipment bought with this funding secures equipment financing? Also, its common finance terms usually are longer.
The built-in collateral means: lenders take less risk — the loan covers from 2 to 5 years.
These have no business loan terms. They are repaid via a day-to-day percentage of the business card revenues. The advance firm claims the daily percentage until the whole debt is cleared.
With the fluctuating daily payment, it’s hard to tell the period taken by the merchant cash advance. But do you know this has some of the shortest loan terms in the industry?
That’s due to the daily payments. Normally, borrowers repay their loan for a period of 4 to 18 months.
During the process of searching for the right business loan, you’ll come across some terminologies as highlighted below.
This takes note of the entire cash inflows and outflows from your business during a specific period.
It’s a pre-determined time after the due date of loan payment given without incurring late charges.
Moreover, the type of business entity constitutes the category your business falls legally. Entity type influences how your business functions under the law.
Do you know with collateral you have high chances of qualifying for funding and get better business loan terms?
Collateral consists of tangible and intangible property owned by an individual or business. It may include financial accounts, equipment, vehicles, real estate, etc. Businesses use collateral in two ways:
When utilized in the business loan term, it refers to loans with no collateral backing. However, unsecured debt results in bigger risks to the lender. They’re also not easy to qualify.
By underwriting your application, the lender accesses the risk of loaning you. It involves the decisions of whether to lend or not.
Commonly known as "current liability", accounts payable constitutes a business loan term that alludes to short-term debt that you’re needed to clear soon. It denotes what’s owned by your business.
This refers to the reimbursements you’re owned. They make up outstanding invoices and allude to what your trade is owed.
In business finance terms, it refers to how borrowers pay off their business loans. For amortized loans, borrowers make scheduled and equal payments until the principal and interest is paid.
Consolidating your debts means paying multiple loans with the money you got from a single loan.
Debt financing means way of business financing or a loan that necessitates you to repay the principal amount and interest over time.
It’s a contract signed when you agree to take the loan. The loan agreement delineates the loan terms.
A loan matures after making the last loan payment. That’s after full clearing of the principal and interest.
Unlike a fixed interest rate, this differs from the market interest rates during the business loan span.
It’s a borrower who is termed as a higher risk.
Signing to a blanket lien loan gives powers to the lender to seize any of your business property if the debt is not cleared.
Refinancing your debt involves paying off your loan with another better loan. It saves your huge business cash with the avoided interest.
What do you know about working capital? It’s the entire capital utilized in day-to-day transactions in your business. It's the amount of cash in your business minus the expenses.
If you are seeking to work out or modify your SBA loan with lenders, get in touch with us. We’ll walk you through common business terms.
In the business arena, we’ll get the world at your fingertips as we offer you the most important loan details.
Millions of Dollars in SBA Debts Resolved via Offer in Compromise and Negotiated Repayment Agreements without our Clients filing for Bankruptcy or Facing Home Foreclosure
Millions of Dollars in Treasury Debts Defended Against via AWG Hearings, Treasury Offset Program Resolution, Cross-servicing Disputes, Private Collection Agency Representation, Compromise Offers and Negotiated Repayment Agreements
Our Attorneys are Authorized by the Agency Practice Act to Represent Federal Debtors Nationwide before the SBA, The SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Treasury Department, and the Bureau of Fiscal Service.
Our firm successfully assisted a client in closing an SBA Disaster Loan tied to a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The borrower obtained an EIDL loan of $153,800, but due to the prolonged economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business was unable to recover and ultimately closed.
As part of the business closure review and audit, we worked closely with the SBA to negotiate a resolution. The borrower was required to pay only $1,625 to release the remaining collateral, effectively closing the matter without further financial liability for the owner/officer.
This case highlights the importance of strategic negotiations when dealing with SBA settlements, particularly for businesses that have shut down due to unforeseen economic challenges. If you or your business are struggling with SBA loan debt, we focus on SBA Offer in Compromise (SBA OIC) solutions to help settle outstanding obligations efficiently.
Client's small business obtained an SBA COVID EIDL for $301,000 pledging collateral by executing the Note, Unconditional Guarantee and Security Agreement. The business defaulted on the loan and the SBA CESC called the Note and Guarantee, accelerated the principal balance due, accrued interest and retracted the 30-year term schedule.
The loan was transferred to the Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service which resulted in the statutory addition of $90,000+ in administrative fees, costs, penalties and interest with the total debt now at $391.000+. Treasury also initiated a Treasury Offset Program (TOP) levy against the client's federal contractor payments for the full amount each month - intercepting all of its revenue and pushing the business to the brink of bankruptcy.
The Firm was hired to investigate and find an alternate solution to the bankruptcy option. After submitting formal production requests for all government records, it was discovered that the SBA failed to send the required Official 60-Day Pre-Referral Notice to the borrower and guarantor prior to referring the debt to Treasury. This procedural due process violation served as the basis to submit a Cross-Servicing Dispute to recall the debt from Treasury back to the SBA and to negotiate a reinstatement of the original 30-year maturity date, a modified workout, cessation of the TOP levy against the federal contractor payments and removal of the $90,000+ Treasury-based collection fees, interest and penalties.
Client received the SBA's Official 60-Day Notice for a loan that was obtained by her small business in 2001. The SBA loan went into default in 2004 but after hearing nothing from the SBA lender or the SBA for 20 years, out of the blue, she received the SBA's collection due process notice which provided her with only one of four options: (1) repay the entire accelerated balance immediately; (2) negotiate a repayment arrangement; (3) challenge the legal enforceability of the debt with evidence; or (4) request an OHA hearing before a U.S. Administrative Law Judge.
Client hired the Firm to represent her with only 13 days left before the expiration deadline to respond to the SBA's Official 60-Day Notice. The Firm attorneys immediately researched the SBA's Official loan database to obtain information regarding the 7(a) loan. Thereafter, the Firm attorneys conducted legal research and asserted certain affirmative defenses challenging the legal enforceability of the debt. A written response was timely filed to the 60-Day Notice with the SBA subsequently agreeing with the client's affirmative defenses and legal arguments. As a result, the SBA rendered a decision immediately terminating collection of the debt against the client's alleged personal guarantee liability saving her $50,000.