Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Montana
The most active SBA lenders in Montana, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. Glacier Bank leads with 879 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Montana
The full Montana 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 Montana lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Montana; 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 | Glacier Bank | 879 | $169.8M | $193K | 1.02% |
| 2 | First Interstate Bank | 424 | $116.2M | $274K | 3.77% |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 388 | $88.9M | $229K | 2.58% |
| 4 | The Yellowstone Bank | 355 | $125.8M | $354K | 0.28% |
| 5 | Big Sky Economic Development Corporation | 300 | $206.8M | $689K | not reported |
| 6 | Stockman Bank of Montana | 264 | $52.1M | $198K | 0.76% |
| 7 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 249 | $31.6M | $127K | 2.41% |
| 8 | Bank of Bridger, National Association | 201 | $40.9M | $204K | 3.48% |
| 9 | Three Rivers Bank of Montana | 146 | $53.1M | $364K | 2.74% |
| 10 | Capital Matrix, Inc. | 104 | $70.6M | $679K | not reported |
| 11 | UMB Bank, National Association | 101 | $25.6M | $254K | 1.98% |
| 12 | Montana Community Development Corp. | 99 | $12.2M | $124K | 5.05% |
| 13 | Opportunity Bank of Montana | 89 | $30.6M | $344K | 5.62% |
| 14 | Live Oak Banking Company | 80 | $103.9M | $1.3M | 2.50% |
| 15 | Dakota Business Lending | 78 | $57.0M | $730K | not reported |
| 16 | Bank of the Rockies | 59 | $31.8M | $539K | 0.00% |
| 17 | Valley Bank of Ronan | 52 | $17.4M | $335K | 3.85% |
| 18 | Farmers State Bank | 45 | $12.6M | $281K | 0.00% |
| 19 | High Plains Financial, Inc. | 43 | $21.1M | $491K | not reported |
| 20 | Northeast Bank | 42 | $6.4M | $151K | 2.38% |
| 21 | Ascent Bank | 40 | $11.1M | $279K | 5.00% |
| 22 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 39 | $14.4M | $370K | 0.00% |
| 23 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 37 | $16.8M | $455K | 5.41% |
| 24 | Manhattan Bank | 34 | $7.3M | $216K | 0.00% |
| 25 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 31 | $19.5M | $628K | 0.00% |
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 Montana
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 Montana by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. Glacier Bank 879 loans
- 2. First Interstate Bank 424 loans
- 3. Wells Fargo Bank National Association 388 loans
- 4. The Yellowstone Bank 355 loans
- 5. Stockman Bank of Montana 264 loans
- 1. Big Sky Economic Development Corporation 300 loans
- 2. Capital Matrix, Inc. 104 loans
- 3. Dakota Business Lending 78 loans
- 4. High Plains Financial, Inc. 43 loans
- 5. Mountain West Small Business Finance 14 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Montana. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Montana
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Montana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 680 | $293.3M | Glacier Bank (102 loans) |
| Construction | 665 | $162.2M | Glacier Bank (132 loans) |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 662 | $347.4M | Glacier Bank (105 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Montana.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana; 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 Montana: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Montana?
Glacier Bank is the most active SBA lender in Montana in the public record, with 879 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($169.8M in Montana). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Montana?
No. The ranking measures activity in Montana: loans funded to Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana?
45 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Montana 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 Montana. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/mt/
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