SBA Preferred Lender in La Jolla, CA: 7(a) loans $350,000 to $5 million, variable rate (9.75% median), 650 min FICO, terms to 25 years. Best for SoCal acquisitions and real estate.
What the financing costs, normalized so lenders can be compared.
How and how fast you pay it back, and how flexible it is.
Who qualifies and what you have to put on the line.
How fast you get funded and how the lender treats you.
Who actually stands behind the lender: legal entity, registration, and how long the business and its website have existed. Checked against public registries.

Best for: Southern California owners borrowing $350,000 to $5 million via SBA 7(a) or 504 for acquisitions, owner-occupied property or equipment, with a 650+ FICO. Not for: Borrowers needing under $350,000, a fixed rate, or businesses outside coastal Southern California. Lender List verdict: CalPrivate Bank is a La Jolla SBA Preferred Lender built for larger, real-estate-heavy 7(a) deals (median approval $850,500). Rates float (9.75% median), and full collateral, sometimes your home, is expected.
| Lender type | FDIC-insured bank, SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 2006 / La Jolla, CA |
| Parent | Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM) |
| SBA amounts | 7(a): $350,000 to $5 million; 504: from $350,000 |
| Cost | Variable; median 9.75% (last 12 months) |
| Status | Active: 60 SBA 7(a) approvals in 12 months to June 30, 2026 |
CalPrivate Bank is a La Jolla, California bank founded in 2006 with about $2.7 billion in assets. Its Coronado office is not a separate bank: it houses CalPrivate's SBA arm, the Private Business Capital division. SBA data shows 403 approvals worth $489.8 million since FY2020 (80 in FY2025; 46 in FY2026 through June), 382 in California.
CalPrivate Bank offers SBA 7(a) and 504 loans and approves 7(a) loans in-house as a Preferred Lender.
CalPrivate Bank's SBA loans carry floating rates, with a 9.75% median over the last 12 months (8.75% since FY2020). SBA caps the spread at Prime + 4.5% for loans of $250,001 to $350,000 and Prime + 3% above that. The bank does not publish its fees.
Worked example: a $350,000, 10-year 7(a) loan at 9.75% costs $4,576.96 a month; 120 payments total $549,235, including $199,235 interest. Any Prime change resets the payment. Before fees, APR equals the rate.
| Requirement | CalPrivate Bank minimum |
|---|---|
| Personal credit score | 650 FICO |
| Time in business | Start-ups accepted |
| Equity injection | 15% for acquisitions; 25% for start-ups |
| Size limits | Net worth up to $15 million; net profit up to $5 million |
| Collateral | First lien on financed assets; home trust deed possible |
Alternatives: SBA 7(a) lenders and SBA 504 lenders or the Lendio marketplace.
Is CalPrivate Bank Legit? Yes. CalPrivate Bank was chartered in 2006, is FDIC-insured (cert 58291), holds about $2.7 billion in assets and is owned by Private Bancorp of America, which trades on the OTCQX. It is an SBA Preferred Lender with 60 7(a) approvals in the 12 months to June 30, 2026.
What Is CalPrivate Bank's Asset Size? CalPrivate Bank holds about $2.7 billion in total assets, according to FDIC BankFind, across seven Southern California offices. Its SBA division writes 7(a) loans up to the program's $5 million limit, with an $850,500 median approval.
How Long Does CalPrivate Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? CalPrivate Bank does not publish a closing timeline and describes its SBA process as expedited. As a Preferred Lender it approves 7(a) loans under SBA-delegated authority instead of routing them to SBA's processing center, but appraisals, valuations and property due diligence still set the pace.
Does CalPrivate Bank Lend to Startups? Yes. CalPrivate Bank lends to businesses open less than a full year if the owner has directly relevant experience, two years of projections and at least 25% equity in the total project. Start-up loans can stretch to a decade, and early payoff carries no penalty.
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.
Best for: Southern California owners borrowing $350,000 to $5 million via SBA 7(a) or 504 for acquisitions, owner-occupied property or equipment, with a 650+ FICO. Not for: Borrowers needing under $350,000, a fixed rate, or businesses outside coastal Southern California. Lender List verdict: CalPrivate Bank is a La Jolla SBA Preferred Lender built for larger, real-estate-heavy 7(a) deals (median approval $850,500). Rates float (9.75% median), and full collateral, sometimes your home, is expected.
| Lender type | FDIC-insured bank, SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 2006 / La Jolla, CA |
| Parent | Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM) |
| SBA amounts | 7(a): $350,000 to $5 million; 504: from $350,000 |
| Cost | Variable; median 9.75% (last 12 months) |
| Status | Active: 60 SBA 7(a) approvals in 12 months to June 30, 2026 |
CalPrivate Bank is a La Jolla, California bank founded in 2006 with about $2.7 billion in assets. Its Coronado office is not a separate bank: it houses CalPrivate's SBA arm, the Private Business Capital division. SBA data shows 403 approvals worth $489.8 million since FY2020 (80 in FY2025; 46 in FY2026 through June), 382 in California.
CalPrivate Bank offers SBA 7(a) and 504 loans and approves 7(a) loans in-house as a Preferred Lender.
CalPrivate Bank's SBA loans carry floating rates, with a 9.75% median over the last 12 months (8.75% since FY2020). SBA caps the spread at Prime + 4.5% for loans of $250,001 to $350,000 and Prime + 3% above that. The bank does not publish its fees.
Worked example: a $350,000, 10-year 7(a) loan at 9.75% costs $4,576.96 a month; 120 payments total $549,235, including $199,235 interest. Any Prime change resets the payment. Before fees, APR equals the rate.
| Requirement | CalPrivate Bank minimum |
|---|---|
| Personal credit score | 650 FICO |
| Time in business | Start-ups accepted |
| Equity injection | 15% for acquisitions; 25% for start-ups |
| Size limits | Net worth up to $15 million; net profit up to $5 million |
| Collateral | First lien on financed assets; home trust deed possible |
Alternatives: SBA 7(a) lenders and SBA 504 lenders or the Lendio marketplace.
Is CalPrivate Bank Legit? Yes. CalPrivate Bank was chartered in 2006, is FDIC-insured (cert 58291), holds about $2.7 billion in assets and is owned by Private Bancorp of America, which trades on the OTCQX. It is an SBA Preferred Lender with 60 7(a) approvals in the 12 months to June 30, 2026.
What Is CalPrivate Bank's Asset Size? CalPrivate Bank holds about $2.7 billion in total assets, according to FDIC BankFind, across seven Southern California offices. Its SBA division writes 7(a) loans up to the program's $5 million limit, with an $850,500 median approval.
How Long Does CalPrivate Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? CalPrivate Bank does not publish a closing timeline and describes its SBA process as expedited. As a Preferred Lender it approves 7(a) loans under SBA-delegated authority instead of routing them to SBA's processing center, but appraisals, valuations and property due diligence still set the pace.
Does CalPrivate Bank Lend to Startups? Yes. CalPrivate Bank lends to businesses open less than a full year if the owner has directly relevant experience, two years of projections and at least 25% equity in the total project. Start-up loans can stretch to a decade, and early payoff carries no penalty.
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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