Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Arkansas
The most active SBA lenders in Arkansas, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. Arvest Bank leads with 872 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Arkansas
The full Arkansas ranking, by SBA loans funded since FY2010. Every figure is in-state: each lender's loans, dollars, average loan size, and 7(a) charge-off rate cover its Arkansas lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Arkansas; below that line, and on 504-only lending, it reads “not reported,” never 0%.
| # | Lender | Loans | Total funded | Average loan | 7(a) charge-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arvest Bank | 872 | $275.1M | $315K | 3.33% |
| 2 | First Financial Bank | 558 | $348.1M | $624K | 1.79% |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 385 | $21.0M | $54K | 3.64% |
| 4 | ACC Capital | 201 | $93.0M | $462K | 2.99% |
| 5 | Simmons Bank | 187 | $64.3M | $344K | 8.56% |
| 6 | Live Oak Banking Company | 185 | $310.8M | $1.7M | 1.62% |
| 7 | Southern Bancorp Bank | 151 | $126.7M | $839K | 0.66% |
| 8 | First Service Bank | 149 | $97.1M | $652K | 0.67% |
| 9 | The Huntington National Bank | 142 | $89.0M | $626K | 2.11% |
| 10 | Six Bridges Capital Corporation | 133 | $96.6M | $726K | not reported |
| 11 | Regions Bank | 129 | $95.3M | $739K | 6.98% |
| 12 | Legacy National Bank | 128 | $51.0M | $398K | 6.25% |
| 13 | Rural Missouri, Inc. | 127 | $113.5M | $894K | not reported |
| 14 | Bank OZK | 119 | $82.3M | $692K | 5.04% |
| 15 | FNBC Bank | 119 | $39.8M | $334K | 1.68% |
| 16 | Centennial Bank | 89 | $32.9M | $369K | 6.74% |
| 17 | First Community Bank | 66 | $12.7M | $192K | 6.06% |
| 18 | VelocitySBA, LLC | 66 | $6.8M | $103K | 7.58% |
| 19 | Northeast Bank | 61 | $8.5M | $140K | 0.00% |
| 20 | The First National Bank of Fort Smith | 59 | $12.8M | $216K | 5.08% |
| 21 | BayFirst National Bank | 58 | $12.4M | $214K | 8.62% |
| 22 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 51 | $15.7M | $307K | 7.84% |
| 23 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 50 | $33.2M | $663K | 12.00% |
| 24 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 50 | $13.5M | $271K | 0.00% |
| 25 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 48 | $33.8M | $704K | 4.17% |
SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31, from the SBA's public record.
7(a) banks vs 504 lenders (CDCs) in Arkansas
The two SBA programs have different lenders. A 7(a) loan comes from one bank or credit union; a 504 project pairs a bank with a Certified Development Company (CDC), the nonprofit that funds the SBA-backed portion. The leaders in Arkansas by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. Arvest Bank 872 loans
- 2. First Financial Bank 558 loans
- 3. U.S. Bank, National Association 385 loans
- 4. ACC Capital 201 loans
- 5. Simmons Bank 187 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Arkansas. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Arkansas
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Arkansas since FY2010, and the most active lender in each. A lender that leads your industry locally can matter more than the overall #1.
| Industry | Loans | Total funded | Most active lender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing | 938 | $898.2M | First Financial Bank (498 loans) |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 755 | $454.8M | Arvest Bank (137 loans) |
| Retail Trade | 677 | $335.6M | Arvest Bank (119 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Arkansas.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Arkansas businesses in the SBA's public FOIA record, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31. No lender pays to appear or to rank, and activity is not a fit score: the right lender for you depends on your industry, loan size, and timeline.
- The 10-loan line. A lender enters the Arkansas table only with at least 10 loans funded in-state, so one-off activity never reads as a track record. Industry cells above are held to at least 30 loans.
- Charge-off is 7(a)-only and needs 20+ loans. The SBA reports charge-offs on 7(a) loans, never on 504 loans. We show an in-state rate only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Arkansas; anything thinner reads “not reported,” never 0%. It is a charge-off share of funded loans to date, not a lifetime default rate.
- Name collisions are excluded, and counted. The SBA does not normalize lender names across mergers and rebrands, so one name can blend several unrelated institutions. Flagged names are never ranked on this page; each exclusion is disclosed under the table.
The exact calculations and limits: methodology.
Best SBA lenders in Arkansas: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Arkansas?
Arvest Bank is the most active SBA lender in Arkansas in the public record, with 872 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($275.1M in Arkansas). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Arkansas?
No. The ranking measures activity in Arkansas: loans funded to Arkansas businesses in the SBA's record. Many of these lenders are national or multi-state institutions; the loans, dollars, and charge-off figures shown are their Arkansas lending only.
What's the difference between a 7(a) lender and a CDC?
A 7(a) lender is a bank or credit union that funds an SBA-guaranteed loan directly. A Certified Development Company (CDC) is a nonprofit that funds the SBA-backed portion of a 504 project alongside a bank. Charge-off is reported only on 7(a) loans, so a 504-only CDC shows "not reported," never 0%.
How many SBA lenders are active in Arkansas?
58 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Arkansas since FY2010 in the public record (as of 2026-03-31). The table above names the 25 most active of them; names that blend several same-named institutions are excluded from rankings.
Mario Bailey. (2026). Best SBA lenders in Arkansas. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/ar/
Free to cite and quote with attribution and a link. Members of the press can reach us via our press page.
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