FWBank: SBA Lending Profile
FWBank is an FDIC-insured bank, headquartered in Chicago, IL. It is active in 33 states, concentrated around IL, TX, AZ. Everything below comes from federal SBA loan records, not from the lender's marketing. This is what it has actually funded.
Loan sizes FWBank actually approves
The median SBA approval at FWBank is $744,500. The middle 80% of its loans fall between $381,150 and $2,580,800. The smallest funded approval in the available source window is $100,000 and the largest is $5,000,000. If the amount you need sits far outside that range, this is probably not the right first call, no matter what the website says.
Programs
| Program | Loans FY25-26 | Median size | Median rate | Median term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | 103 | $745K | 9.75% | 10.5 years |
| 504 first mortgage (third party) | 7 | $1.3M | n/a | 25 years |
Industries it funds most
| Industry | Funded loans in source data | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Limited-Service Restaurants | 21 | 11.8% |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | 20 | 11.2% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 18 | 10.1% |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars | 14 | 7.9% |
| Other Personal Care Services | 12 | 6.7% |
| Child Day Care Services | 10 | 5.6% |
| All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 9 | 5.1% |
| Beauty Salons | 6 | 3.4% |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services | 4 | 2.2% |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction | 4 | 2.2% |
| Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) | 3 | 1.7% |
| Home Health Care Services | 3 | 1.7% |
How fast FWBank actually funds
Approval is not money in the bank. Across 160 loans where both dates are on record, the typical gap between SBA approval and first disbursement at FWBank is 43 days. Half its loans fund between 18 and 105 days. The typical SBA lender takes about 20 days, so this is roughly in line with the market.
Lending momentum
FWBank is expanding its SBA program. Approvals are up 124.1% from FY2023 to FY2025, which usually means an active appetite and a team that wants deals.
Funded approvals by SBA fiscal year (October to September). FY2026 is excluded because it is still in progress.
Borrower profile
- 67.4% of its funded SBA records with known business age went to startups or businesses under two years old, which is high, most SBA lenders skew heavily toward established companies.
- Collateral was taken on 99.4% of its recent SBA loans.
- 6.7% of its loans carry fixed rates; the rest are variable.
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Sources and limits. Figures are derived from U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level records (data as of 2026-06-30, retrieved 2026-08-08) and FDIC public institution data. Funding speed is the median gap between approval date and first disbursement date in SBA records. Some lenders report disbursement at month end, which can round the figure upward. They describe past lending activity only. They are not rate quotes, not current offers, and not an indication that any business will qualify. Lender programs and criteria change. Big Brain Funding is not affiliated with or endorsed by FWBank.