The Small Business Administration has formally announced that the FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) Score will no longer be used for 7(a) Small Loans beginning March 1, 2026. This policy change has significant SBA SBSS sunset franchise financing implications for franchisors as lenders shift toward new underwriting requirements. For franchisors, the end of SBSS […]
How Leading Franchise Lenders Use FUND Scores to Improve Franchise Loan Performance In a lending environment defined by tightening credit standards and rising risk awareness, franchise lenders are increasingly turning to data-driven franchise lending insights to improve decision quality and portfolio outcomes. FRANdata’s latest analysis of more than 18,000 SBA 7(a) loans shows how measurable […]
Franchise financing outcomes vary widely across systems, but new evidence shows that brand-level creditworthiness plays a measurable role. FRANdata analyzed more than 18,000 SBA 7(a) loans issued to franchisees from 2010 to the present—representing roughly $8 billion in total financing—to quantify how FUND Scores relate to loan performance. The findings confirm a statistically significant relationship […]
UPDATE: The SBA has extended the deadline for franchise brands that were listed on the SBA Franchise Directory as of May 2023 to complete the required re-certification outlined in SBA Information Notice 5000-866746 (effective April 21, 2025). The deadline has been moved from December 31, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The SBA has communicated this extension directly […]
Some 580+ SBA lenders attended last week’s NAGGL Spring Conference in Salt Lake City, and the FRANdata team was on hand to learn the latest in SBA lending and gauge how some of the largest franchise lenders are feeling about the current lending environment. From evolving credit risk concerns and policy clarifications to upcoming SOP […]