Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Hawaii
The most active SBA lenders in Hawaii, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. Central Pacific Bank leads with 1,516 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Hawaii
The full Hawaii 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 Hawaii lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Hawaii; 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 | Central Pacific Bank | 1,516 | $81.4M | $54K | 6.53% |
| 2 | American Savings Bank, National Association | 522 | $25.9M | $50K | 7.66% |
| 3 | HEDCO Local Development Corporation | 516 | $316.2M | $613K | not reported |
| 4 | Bank of Hawaii | 434 | $49.8M | $115K | 2.30% |
| 5 | First Hawaiian Bank | 381 | $50.8M | $133K | 3.41% |
| 6 | HawaiiUSA FCU | 303 | $9.8M | $32K | 0.66% |
| 7 | Hawaii National Bank | 77 | $17.9M | $233K | 2.60% |
| 8 | Northeast Bank | 66 | $9.8M | $148K | 0.00% |
| 9 | BayFirst National Bank | 63 | $11.2M | $177K | 4.76% |
| 10 | Gather FCU | 63 | $10.8M | $172K | 1.59% |
| 11 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 53 | $24.8M | $468K | 1.89% |
| 12 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 44 | $24.9M | $566K | 0.00% |
| 13 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 43 | $7.8M | $180K | 4.65% |
| 14 | VelocitySBA, LLC | 42 | $455K | $11K | 9.52% |
| 15 | Live Oak Banking Company | 36 | $42.4M | $1.2M | 8.33% |
| 16 | Commonwealth Business Bank | 36 | $17.2M | $477K | 2.78% |
| 17 | Hawaii Community FCU | 30 | $1.1M | $36K | 0.00% |
| 18 | Honolulu Federal Credit Union | 24 | $1.1M | $45K | 8.33% |
| 19 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 23 | $13.1M | $570K | 0.00% |
| 20 | Mortgage Capital Development Corporation | 21 | $25.5M | $1.2M | not reported |
| 21 | The Huntington National Bank | 19 | $11.4M | $599K | not reported |
| 22 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 15 | $4.1M | $274K | not reported |
| 23 | Five Star Bank | 14 | $2.8M | $202K | not reported |
| 24 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 13 | $4.5M | $347K | not reported |
| 25 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 11 | $2.9M | $261K | not reported |
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 Hawaii
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 Hawaii by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. Central Pacific Bank 1,516 loans
- 2. American Savings Bank, National Association 522 loans
- 3. Bank of Hawaii 434 loans
- 4. First Hawaiian Bank 381 loans
- 5. HawaiiUSA FCU 303 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Hawaii. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Hawaii
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Hawaii 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 803 | $129.5M | Central Pacific Bank (350 loans) |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 724 | $146.4M | Central Pacific Bank (337 loans) |
| Retail Trade | 492 | $110.8M | Central Pacific Bank (114 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Hawaii.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii; 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 Hawaii: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Hawaii?
Central Pacific Bank is the most active SBA lender in Hawaii in the public record, with 1,516 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($81.4M in Hawaii). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Hawaii?
No. The ranking measures activity in Hawaii: loans funded to Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii?
25 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Hawaii 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 Hawaii. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/hi/
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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