Coleman Benchmark Data Shows SBA 7(a) Loans Fund in 21 Days

August 4, 2026

Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher

Coleman Benchmark Data Shows SBA 7(a) Loans Fund in 21 Days

Funding times have risen 31% in two years, and loans of every size slowed

The SBA 7(a) industry’s median funding time is 21 days from approval to first disbursement.

This finding comes from an exclusive Coleman Report analysis of SBA loan-level data for nine months of SBA’s fiscal year 2026 through June 30, 2026.

Borrowers waited 16 days two years ago. Funding time has increased 31% since fiscal year 2024.

Today, a larger percentage of the 7(a) portfolio consists of business acquisitions, commercial real estate loans, construction loans and larger change-of-ownership transactions. These loans require more documentation, closing conditions, and third-party work.

Coleman Report analyzed every Preferred Lender Program and 7(a) General Processing loan approved during fiscal years 2024, 2025 and the first nine months of 2026 using SBA loan-level FOIA data.

The percentage of loans funded within 30 days fell from 78% in FY24 to 65% in FY26.

The average FY26 funding time is 29 days, while the median is 21 days, meaning half of the loans funded in 21 days or less and half took 21 days or longer. The median is the better measure because a small number of unusually slow fundings can push the average higher.

One in 10 loans takes more than 63 days to reach first disbursement.

Five Lenders Stand Out

Zions Bank funded 277 loans in a median of eight days, the fastest result of any lender at that volume. Its median has remained between seven and eight days for three straight fiscal years, holding steady through a period in which the industry as a whole slowed by five days.

Newtek Bank posted the largest improvement among high-volume lenders. Its median fell from 29 days in FY25 to 17 days in FY26, a 12-day gain achieved while funding more loans than any other lender in the study.

Lendistry SBLC funded 360 loans in a median of 11 days, ten days faster than the industry median.

Colony Bank posted the fastest funding time of any lender in the study, with a five-day median across 81 loans. Colony has finished between three and five days in each of the last three fiscal years.

Live Oak Banking Company funded 737 loans in a median of 16 days and has finished at 17, 17 and 16 days across the last three fiscal years, the steadiest performance of any lender at that scale.

The Complete Lender Days Funding Analysis

Coleman Premium Members can see how their institution compares with similar lenders and review the complete three-year performance of all 868 lenders.

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