Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Louisiana
The most active SBA lenders in Louisiana, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association leads with 968 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Louisiana
The full Louisiana 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 Louisiana lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Louisiana; 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 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 968 | $180.6M | $187K | 5.68% |
| 2 | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company | 634 | $205.9M | $325K | 5.52% |
| 3 | Hancock Whitney Bank | 380 | $144.2M | $379K | 2.11% |
| 4 | Fidelity Bank | 280 | $70.4M | $251K | 3.21% |
| 5 | Capital One, National Association | 235 | $92.6M | $394K | 4.68% |
| 6 | Gulf Coast Bank | 234 | $107.8M | $461K | 5.13% |
| 7 | Louisiana Capital Certified Development Company, Inc. | 220 | $144.1M | $655K | not reported |
| 8 | b1BANK | 217 | $105.9M | $488K | 1.84% |
| 9 | The Huntington National Bank | 216 | $94.4M | $437K | 2.78% |
| 10 | Northeast Bank | 212 | $27.4M | $129K | 1.89% |
| 11 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 208 | $72.7M | $349K | 0.00% |
| 12 | American Bank | 206 | $136.4M | $662K | 1.46% |
| 13 | Live Oak Banking Company | 169 | $215.2M | $1.3M | 1.18% |
| 14 | Gibsland Bank & Trust Company | 161 | $93.2M | $579K | 3.11% |
| 15 | First Financial Bank | 160 | $150.2M | $939K | 3.75% |
| 16 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 147 | $125.3M | $853K | 7.48% |
| 17 | BayFirst National Bank | 138 | $28.5M | $206K | 16.67% |
| 18 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 123 | $66.2M | $538K | 9.76% |
| 19 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 109 | $45.5M | $417K | 3.67% |
| 20 | Regions Bank | 107 | $100.5M | $939K | 1.87% |
| 21 | First Horizon Bank | 93 | $91.5M | $984K | 1.08% |
| 22 | South Louisiana Bank | 83 | $9.5M | $114K | 6.02% |
| 23 | VelocitySBA, LLC | 82 | $6.7M | $81K | 17.07% |
| 24 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 79 | $29.2M | $369K | 8.86% |
| 25 | Red River Bank | 76 | $15.2M | $200K | 1.32% |
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 Louisiana
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 Louisiana by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association 968 loans
- 2. Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company 634 loans
- 3. Hancock Whitney Bank 380 loans
- 4. Fidelity Bank 280 loans
- 5. Capital One, National Association 235 loans
- 1. Louisiana Capital Certified Development Company, Inc. 220 loans
- 2. Community Certified Development Corporation 73 loans
- 3. New Orleans Regional Business Development Loan Corporation 48 loans
- 4. JEDCO Development Corporation 46 loans
- 5. SBA CLSC Servicing 31 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Louisiana. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Louisiana
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Louisiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,166 | $948.4M | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company (112 loans) |
| Retail Trade | 1,052 | $444.0M | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company (142 loans) |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 808 | $339.4M | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (114 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Louisiana.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana; 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 Louisiana: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Louisiana?
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is the most active SBA lender in Louisiana in the public record, with 968 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($180.6M in Louisiana). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Louisiana?
No. The ranking measures activity in Louisiana: loans funded to Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
78 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Louisiana 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 Louisiana. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/la/
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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