Top SBA Lenders in Tennessee
The 26 most active SBA 7(a) lenders in Tennessee, ranked by number of loans. Data comes directly from SBA FOIA records covering every approved 7(a) loan from 2021 through 2026.
Explore the full dataset →Why your SBA lender matters
Not every SBA lender will work your deal. Lenders specialize by industry, deal size, and loan purpose, and their approval, funding, and default patterns vary significantly from institution to institution. Matching your deal to a lender with the right historical activity in your market gives you a better shot at a clean, predictable close.
| # | Lender | Loans | Total Volume | Avg Loan | Funded % | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 519 | $98.2M | $189K | 84.2% | 3.4% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 440 | $175.8M | $400K | 78.0% | 2.0% |
| 3 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 304 | $114.6M | $377K | 60.5% | 0.0% |
| 4 | Northeast Bank | 248 | $35.2M | $142K | 41.9% | 0.0% |
| 5 | Pinnacle Bank | 233 | $265.3M | $1.1M | 84.5% | 0.5% |
| 6 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 179 | $38.8M | $217K | 82.1% | 1.4% |
| 7 | BayFirst National Bank | 164 | $30.6M | $187K | 95.1% | 1.3% |
| 8 | Live Oak Banking Company | 163 | $234.3M | $1.4M | 83.4% | 0.0% |
| 9 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 138 | $36.1M | $262K | 91.3% | 4.0% |
| 10 | Regions Bank | 103 | $78.6M | $763K | 76.7% | 2.5% |
| 11 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 83 | $54.0M | $650K | 90.4% | 1.3% |
| 12 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 81 | $21.4M | $264K | 86.4% | 4.3% |
| 13 | Old National Bank | 77 | $65.4M | $849K | 80.5% | 0.0% |
| 14 | Newtek Small Business Finance, LLC | 67 | $34.6M | $516K | 59.7% | 2.5% |
| 15 | Bank of America, National Association | 62 | $35.8M | $578K | 75.8% | 0.0% |
| 16 | First Bank of the Lake | 59 | $40.3M | $684K | 79.7% | 4.3% |
| 17 | Citizens Bank | 54 | $46.9M | $869K | 83.3% | 2.2% |
| 18 | Byline Bank | 47 | $43.7M | $931K | 87.2% | 7.3% |
| 19 | First Horizon Bank | 46 | $42.6M | $926K | 87.0% | 0.0% |
| 20 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 41 | $6.3M | $154K | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 21 | First Farmers and Merchants Bank | 34 | $10.2M | $301K | 70.6% | 0.0% |
| 21 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 34 | $7.6M | $223K | 91.2% | 3.2% |
| 21 | Brightbridge, Inc. | 34 | $7.9M | $231K | 88.2% | 3.3% |
| 21 | United Community Bank | 34 | $35.0M | $1.0M | 91.2% | 0.0% |
| 25 | Renasant Bank | 33 | $51.9M | $1.6M | 75.8% | 0.0% |
| 25 | Republic Bank & Trust Company | 33 | $17.5M | $531K | 84.8% | 0.0% |
Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) loan-level data, FY2021–FY2026. Lenders with fewer than 3 approved loans in Tennessee during this period are excluded. Funded % = approved loans that were funded. Default % = SBA-purchased loans divided by funded loans. Rankings are by total loan count.
How to read this table
Funded % is the share of approved loans that actually closed. A lender with a high approval rate but low funded rate may be approving deals they later back out of, which is a sign of a disorganized process or shifting appetite.
Default % is the share of funded loans that the SBA had to purchase (the borrower stopped paying). A high default rate isn't automatically disqualifying (some lenders specialize in riskier deals), but it affects how cautious their underwriting is likely to be.
Loan count vs. total volume tell different stories. A lender at the top by loan count may specialize in smaller deals; a lender with fewer but larger loans may only work with mid-market acquisitions. Match your deal size to their typical range.
Volume rankings show who's historically active in Tennessee. They don't tell you who's actively lending right now or who has the right appetite for your specific industry and deal structure. That's where we come in.
Top SBA lending cities in Tennessee
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