SBA Today

This week on SBA Today, Paul T Long and Tonya Mazurek are tackling:

• 📊 The AI Valuation Reality: 67% of intermediaries report AI has no material impact on business valuations yet—fundamentals still carry the deal.
• 🔓 New Prior Loss Waivers: Effective June 1, 2026, the SBA can grant case-by-case waivers if the affected owner held a non-controlling stake under 20% and never guaranteed the defaulted loan.
• 🚫 The Waiver Exception: This new waiver authority completely excludes prior defaults on PPP, EIDL, or other non-SBA federal financing.
• 🛠️ Live AI Agent Build: Paul shares his framework for feeding the SBA SOP into enterprise AI tools to answer tricky underwriting questions.

The Bottom Line: Shifting policy limits mean more deals can clear previous hurdles, but underwriting accuracy remains paramount.

If you are still manually digging through hundreds of pages of text to verify small loan projection requirements, you are burning valuable deal time.

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul is back for this jam-packed episode! He and Tonya breakdown:

• 🛑 The No-Skin Searcher Trap: Why credit teams are souring on search fund deals where the "CEO" brings zero direct industry experience and 100% investor-backed down payments.
• 📊 Demystifying Parris Scores: Why understanding your portfolio's Cumulative Net Yield is like analyzing an insurance drain.
• 🤖 AI in Underwriting: How smart shops are using custom agents to stress-test the SOP and audit PSAs or leases for compliance red flags.
• 🏆 The Patriot Pitch Competition: What a newly launched $1 million prize pool means for growth-stage businesses that have already utilized SBA financing.

The Bottom Line: SBA credit departments are tightening the screws on low-equity business acquisitions, but the agency is simultaneously rolling out major capital and exposure incentives for growth-stage operators who execute cleanly.

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective—empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Tonya is flying solo to breakdown:

• ❌ USDA Lenders Banished—household-name lenders over a $620 million delinquency issue.
• 📈 The $10M Combined Cap—are your capital-intensive borrowers eligible?
• ⚖️ $3M Fraud Indictment—signaling a sharp escalation from the new National Fraud Enforcement Division.
• 🏛️ Navigating the OHA— this independent SBA office might be your last line of defense. The Bottom Line: The regulatory floor is shifting fast.

While the new $10M decoupling rule unlocks historic capital limits, federal agencies are simultaneously tightening compliance and purging non-compliant participants.

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are navigating a heavy news cycle…

• 📉 Another bank failure—Community Bank and Trust of West Georgia.
• ⚠️ Why your EIDL autopay might stop after 5 years and land you in Treasury referral.
• 📑 The top screenouts and credit memo errors currently stalling 7(a) loan approvals.
• 🤫 The truth behind rumors of a $2 Million cap on 7(a) working capital loans.
• 🔄 A massive SOP overhaul is reportedly under review for the largest changes in SBA history.

The Bottom Line: Between shifting funding sources and potential regulatory changes, the lending landscape is moving fast. Don't let an autopay glitch or an expired financial statement derail your portfolio.

🛠This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily the views of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are tackling:

• 🎖️ Small Business Week---celebrating the job creators with regional awards galas and specialized lender training from the Seattle SBA team.
• ⚖️ The $22 Billion Referral---the SBA recently referred 562,000 delinquent or "suspected fraud" PPP and EIDL loans to the Treasury.
• ⚠️ Fraud vs. Filing Errors---discussing the concern that legitimate small businesses may be flagged due to minor discrepancies or filing errors rather than actual intent.
• 📑 How to Read Tax Returns like an SBA Lender

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are joined by Joseph Raycraft (SBA) to break down the latest updates from the 7(a) Connect Call—specifically the massive expansion of the "Grocery Guarantee" into the logistics sector.

The 7(a) Connect Call Highlights:

• 🛣️ 90% Trucking Guarantee---local and non-local trucking is now eligible for a 90% guarantee, provided the business is food-related and carries the correct NAICS code.
• 🍎 Food Service Focus---the new ITL Program expansion is laser-focused on food service and supply chain resilience.
• 🔄 Change of Ownership---the SBA is actively exploring ways to improve the Change of Ownership process while strictly managing portfolio risk.
• 📞 Connect Call Value---this week's call emphasized that staying updated on these niche eligibility requirements is the only way for lenders to remain competitive.

The Bottom Line: The 90% guarantee is a powerful tool for the logistics sector, but as Joe explains, the "food-related" requirement is the gatekeeper. Ensure your NAICS codes align before you commit to the deal.

🛠This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily the views of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are talking about:

• 🆕 New 7(a) Leadership---welcoming Emily Doxzon as the new Chief of 7(a) Loan Origination for the Office of Capital Access.
• 🍦 Franchise Lending Challenges---how the sunsetting of the SBA Score may make it harder for lenders to justify the time and effort required for startup franchise deals.
• 📊 Small-Dollar Performance---analyzing lender reports that show while large loans are performing, the real struggle remains in the small-dollar loan space.
• 📞 7(a) Connect Call---a friendly reminder that the next call is today, Tuesday the 21st, at 3:00 PM Eastern. If you aren't on these calls, you're missing the pulse of the industry.

What do you think? Will the removal of the SBA Score genuinely hinder startup franchise growth, or will lenders adapt their underwriting to fill the gap? Let's discuss in the comments! 👇

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are joined by Brett Caines of Lumos to unpack:

• 🔓 Decoupling Limits—what a major proposed change would mean for borrowers looking for max funding under both 7(a) and 504.
• 📉 The $309M Cut—why slashing Entrepreneurial Development programs by 93% leaves a massive question mark on borrower support.
• ⚠️ Rising Defaults—what the latest Lumos data reveals about the 2019 and 2023 cohorts being the "riskiest of the bunch."

The Bottom Line: We are seeing a push for higher loan volume and manufacturing growth, but it's coming at the cost of the support systems that help small businesses succeed.

📺 Catch the full episode for the deep dive!

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are breaking down:

• 📉 BayFirst Data: Analysis shows SBA guaranty purchases exceeded original amounts by $3.5 Million.
• 🏭 The 90% Guarantee: Starting May 1st, the International Trade Loan (ITL) expands to a 90% guarantee for manufacturers (NAICS 31–33) to modernize and reshore production.
• 🍎 Grocery Guarantee: That same 90% guarantee now extends to the entire food supply chain—from farming and ranching to grocery retailers—to fight price pressures.
• 🛠️ Onshoring Tools: Use the new "Make Onshoring Great Again" Portal to connect with over one million domestic suppliers.

The Bottom Line: The SBA is supercharging domestic production. If you're lending in manufacturing or ag, the game changes May 1st.

Tune in, subscribe, and share this episode to stay ahead of the industrial comeback!

🛠 This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily those of our employer.

This week on SBA Today, Paul and Tonya are diving into:

• 🚚 SBA ON THE MOVE: The SBA has officially relocated its Washington Metro Area District Office to Herndon, Virginia.
• 📝 AUDIT YOUR OWN FILE: Don't let your deal fall apart over missing basics.
• 🗣️ FRONTLOAD CLARITY: Quarter-end is no time for ambiguity.
• 📞 ACTIVE OVER PASSIVE: Call your borrowers daily.
• 🛡️ PROTECT THE CLOSER: Your closer is the "strong arm" that guides the deal home.
• 🧠 MENTAL PREP: Make sure your borrowers know the stakes.

Tune in, subscribe, and share this episode to help your team navigate the quarter-end rapids!

🛠This episode is sponsored by SBA Collective — empowering community banks and credit unions to compete and win in SBA lending.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this show are our own and not necessarily the views of our employer.