Interest Coverage Ratio: Formula, Good Benchmarks and a Worked Example
Learn how to calculate the interest coverage ratio (EBIT ÷ interest), what lenders treat as a good ICR, and how a new loan changes it — with a worked example.
Category Loan applications
Guides to preparing and submitting a business loan or financing application: the documents banks ask for, how credit teams evaluate a request, why applications get declined, how collateral and personal guarantees work, and how to compare loan structures such as term loans, running finance and lines of credit. Each guide explains what happens on the bank’s side of the desk, so you can fix weak points before you apply.
SBA Loan vs Bank Loan: Which Is Better for Your Small Business?
SBA loan vs conventional bank loan: compare rates, down payments, terms, speed and approval odds, with a side-by-side table and a simple way to decide which fits your business.
How to Get a Small Business Loan With Bad Credit (A Lender’s-Eye Guide)
Bad credit doesn't automatically block a small business loan. Learn what US lenders really check, which loan types fit, and 7 steps to improve your approval odds.
10 Documents Banks Usually Ask For in a Business Loan Application
A practical checklist of the documents to gather before you apply for a business loan.
Flat Rate vs Reducing Balance Interest: What a Business Loan Really Costs
The same quoted rate costs very different amounts under flat and reducing-balance methods. A worked 1,000,000 example.
Collateral for a Business Loan: What Banks Accept and How They Value It
What counts as collateral, why banks lend less than the full value, what they check, and how to prepare your assets before applying for a business loan.
Fixed vs Floating Interest Rates on Business Loans
A fixed rate gives you certainty. A floating rate is often cheaper to start with but can rise. See how a 1% rate change affects a $200,000 loan and how to choose.
How Is a Loan EMI Calculated? The Formula, a Worked Example and the Flat-Rate Trap
Your monthly loan payment comes from one formula. See it worked out on a $100,000 business loan, why early payments are mostly interest, and why a "flat" 12% can cost you about 20%.
How to Read a Bank Term Sheet: 10 Terms to Check Before You Sign
How to read a business loan term sheet section by section: pricing, fees, security, guarantees, covenants and conditions, and what you can negotiate.
Personal Guarantees on Business Loans: What You’re Really Signing
What a personal guarantee on a business loan really means, the difference between unlimited and limited guarantees, and what you can negotiate.