Menu Close

Do they check your personal credit for a business loan?

Do they check your personal credit for a business loan?

Are you applying for a business loan? Commercial lenders may look at both your business and personal credit scores before they approve your application. If you have poor personal credit and you’re wondering if it will affect your approval or the terms of your commercial loan, the answer is yes, it can.

Is business credit linked to personal credit?

Your business credit and personal credit aren’t linked — but they may be related. Business and personal credit contains different information, so the scores aren’t necessarily correlated. This is especially likely if you sign a personal guarantee when taking out a small business loan or opening a business credit card.

Does your personal credit affect business loan prospects?

Personal debt has the potential to lower your prospects for being granted a business loan, as does a poor personal credit report. A lender may look only at your business’s credit score, but they may also be concerned with the historical health of your balance sheets and revenue streams, sometimes more so.

Can a business loan appear on my personal credit?

See what rates you qualify for. Depending on what type of business you have and how you acquire credit, a business loan or credit card may affect your personal credit score. Specifically, if you personally guarantee a business account in any capacity, it can impact your personal credit.

What do Lenders look for in a business loan?

Some lenders may only look at your business credit score or history, which is reported by three major business credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Dun & Bradstreet. In other cases, such as with some working capital loans, the lender is more concerned with the historical fitness of your revenue streams and balance sheets than any credit score.

Can a sole proprietorship affect your personal credit?

“As a sole proprietor, your business and personal credit will be one and the same,” says attorney Garrett Sutton, author of Own Your Own Corporation and founder of CorporateDirect.com. Choosing a company structure (such as an LLC, S Corp. or C Corp.) that separates business and personal finances may offer some benefits.

How does a personal loan affect your credit?

This also positions you as a cosigner of sorts, which means the debt can be reported on your personal credit report. Similarly, if you personally guaranteed a business line of credit, it can impact your credit history. Personal loans—including home equity loans—used to fund your businesses will affect your personal credit score as well.