Beacon Bank and Trust logo

Beacon Bank and Trust

SBA 7(a) loans $500K to $5M via 44 Business Capital, up to 25 yrs, median 9.25% variable, no origination fee. Boston bank that absorbed Berkshire Bank.

SBA & Government-Backed Loans:
SBA 7(a) LoansSBA Express Loans
Tags:
#$1m+#Working Capital#Secured#Buying A Business

Rates & Cost

What the financing costs, normalized so lenders can be compared.

Estimated APR:
Median 9.25% initial rate on SBA 7(a) loans in the 12 months to Jun 30, 2026 (SBA FOIA, n=161); ~9.5% at today's 7.00% Prime with the same spread; ~9.8% APR incl. 3% guaranty fee on a $350K 10-yr example
Pricing (as quoted by lender):
Rate "based on credit quality"; lender does not publish its spread (implied ~1.75 to 2.5 points over Prime, last 12 months); SBA cap Prime + 3.0% over $350K
Cost to borrow $100K for 6 months:
≈$6,265 (interest at 9.25% on 10-yr amortization repaid at month 6 + $1,700 SBA guaranty fee)
Fees:
No origination fee (44 Business Capital); SBA upfront guaranty fee 3% of guaranteed portion ($150,001 to $700K), 3.5%/3.75% above, 2% at $150K or less; 0% up to $700K for manufacturers, food-supply-chain and rural businesses
Early payoff:
Allowed; SBA prepayment fee (5%/3%/1%) only on 15+ yr loans when 25%+ prepaid in first 3 years
Pricing transparency (0-3):
1

Repayment Terms

How and how fast you pay it back, and how flexible it is.

Term:
Up to 10 years (acquisitions, equipment, working capital); up to 25 years with real estate (median term 120 months, SBA FOIA)
Repayment schedule:
Monthly; variable rate tied to Prime (93.7% of loans variable since FY2020)
Flexibility in slow months:
Low — fixed monthly SBA payments; variable rate can rise with Prime; no loan covenants

Eligibility & Access

Who qualifies and what you have to put on the line.

Funding amount:
$500K to $5M posted (SBA FOIA: loans $5K to $5M, median $646,500); up to $10M with a paired conventional loan
Minimum revenue:
Lender does not publish; must meet SBA size standard
Minimum time in business:
Lender does not publish
Credit check:
Lender does not publish a score floor; full credit underwriting
Personal guarantee:
Required from all owners of 20% or more (SBA rule)
Collateral & lien:
Loan-to-value evaluated deal by deal; lender does not publish collateral terms

Speed & Service

How fast you get funded and how the lender treats you.

Time to funding:
Lender does not publish; standard SBA 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days (third-party); one 44 Business Capital client reports about 60 days
Lender status:
Active (SBA approvals through Jun 24, 2026; FDIC active); Brookline Bank charter renamed after 2025 merger; Berkshire Bank is now a division

Company Verification

Who actually stands behind the lender: legal entity, registration, and how long the business and its website have existed. Checked against public registries.

Legal entity:
Beacon Bank and Trust
Registered in:
Massachusetts (FDIC cert #17798)
Company formed:
Chartered 1871
Website domain registered:
Feb 1999
Share on:

Best for: Owners buying a business, property or equipment who need an SBA 7(a) loan of $500K to $5M.

Not for: Borrowers wanting a posted rate or cash within days.

Lender List verdict: Beacon Bank and Trust, which absorbed Berkshire Bank in 2025, made 161 SBA 7(a) loans worth $241.1M in the 12 months to June 30, 2026, through 44 Business Capital. Recent loans started near 9.25% variable.

Beacon Bank and Trust at a glance

Beacon Bank and Trust
Lender typeFDIC-insured bank; SBA via 44 Business Capital
Founded / HQ1871 / Boston, Massachusetts
Amounts$500K to $5M posted (SBA data: $5,000 to $5M)
Cost (headline)Median 9.25% variable, last 12 months
TermUp to 10 years; 25 with real estate
StatusActive; last SBA approval June 24, 2026

What is Beacon Bank and Trust?

Beacon Bank and Trust is a $22.2 billion Boston bank on the former Brookline Bank charter (1871), owned by NYSE-listed Beacon Financial Corporation; Berkshire Bank merged into it in 2025. SBA loans come from 44 Business Capital.

How a Beacon Bank and Trust SBA loan works

A Beacon Bank and Trust SBA 7(a) loan runs $500K to $5M for up to 10 years, or 25 with real estate. FY2025 brought 255 approvals ($269.1M); last-12-month average, about $1.5M. Preferred Lender status is not stated.

  • Uses: acquisitions, buyouts, owner-occupied property, equipment, refinancing, working capital
  • Payments: monthly; 93.7% float with Prime since FY2020; no covenants
  • Programs: 7(a) and SBA Express (35.2% since FY2020); with a conventional loan, up to $10M

Beacon Bank and Trust rates and fees: what it really costs

Beacon Bank and Trust's SBA loans had a median 9.25% starting rate in the 12 months to June 30, 2026, implying 1.75 to 2.5 points over Prime (spread unpublished). SBA caps loans over $350K at 10.0% today. No origination fee applies; the SBA guaranty fee is 3% of the guaranteed share from $150,001 to $700K.

Worked example: $350,000 over 10 years at 9.25% costs $4,481.15 a month. Add the $7,875 guaranty fee ($350,000 × 75% × 3%) and total cost is $195,612.43, about 9.8% APR.

Beacon Bank and Trust requirements

Beacon Bank and Trust follows SBA rules; collateral varies by deal.

RequirementBeacon Bank and Trust minimum
Business sizeWithin the SBA size standard
Equity injection10% for startups and buyouts
Personal guaranteeOwners of 20% or more
Credit score / time in businessLender does not publish

Frequently asked questions about Beacon Bank and Trust

Is Beacon Bank the Same as Berkshire Bank? Partly. Beacon Bank and Trust is the renamed Brookline Bank charter, established in 1871. Berkshire Bank and two other banks merged into it in 2025 after the Berkshire Hills–Brookline Bancorp merger. Berkshire Bank now runs as a division, and its SBA team, 44 Business Capital, carried over.

Where Are Beacon Bank Locations? Beacon Bank and Trust has 151 offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Rhode Island, headquartered in Boston. Its SBA lending is national: loans since FY2020 reached borrowers in 44 states led by Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida.

How Long Does Beacon Bank and Trust Take to Close an SBA Loan? Beacon Bank and Trust does not publish a timeline. Standard SBA 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days, and one 44 Business Capital client reports closing in about 60 days. The bank publishes no credit score or time-in-business floor.

Does Beacon Bank and Trust Lend to Startups? The bank does not say. 44 Business Capital lists acquisitions, real estate, equipment, refinancing and working capital as uses. Under SBA rules, startups and buyouts must inject at least 10% of project cost, and owners of 20% or more must guarantee the loan.

Compare SBA 7(a) lenders (SBA figures: SBA 7(a) FOIA data, as of June 30, 2026), or see Bankwell Bank and Liberty Bank in Connecticut.

Last verified 2026-10-27. Pricing and terms are provider-stated or third-party-reported and vary by offer; confirm with the lender before applying.

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