Happy Small Business Week + a $22 Billion Referral | May 5, 2026 | SBA Today

AI Value Myths, New Loss Waivers, & Live Co-Pilot Agents | June 2, 2026

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 [https://sbacollective.com/] — 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.

The "No-Skin" Searcher Trap & a $1M Prize Pool? | May 26, 2026 | SBA Today

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 [https://sbacollective.com/]—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.

Banished Lenders, a $10M Cap Raising & more! | May 19, 2025 | SBA Today

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 [https://sbacollective.com/] — 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.

Bank Failure, EIDL Traps, & SOP Rumors | May 13, 2026 | SBA Today

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 [https://sbacollective.com/] — 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.

Happy Small Business Week + a $22 Billion Referral | May 5, 2026 | SBA Today

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 [https://sbacollective.com/] — 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.