Colony Bank
SBA 7(a) Preferred Lender in Fitzgerald, GA lending nationwide: $500K to $5M stated (median loan $150K), 10 to 25 yrs, 10.0% median rate. Best for secured deals.
Rates & Cost
What the financing costs, normalized so lenders can be compared.
Repayment Terms
How and how fast you pay it back, and how flexible it is.
Eligibility & Access
Who qualifies and what you have to put on the line.
Speed & Service
How fast you get funded and how the lender treats you.
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.
Best for: Established businesses anywhere in the U.S. that want a bank-held SBA 7(a) loan for working capital, equipment, real estate or a business purchase, and can pledge collateral.
Not for: Borrowers who want posted rates, funding within days, or an unsecured loan.
Lender List verdict: Colony Bank is a Georgia SBA Preferred Lender that approved 160 SBA 7(a) loans worth $85.7M in the 12 months to June 30, 2026, at a 10.0% median rate. Its site says 7(a) loans start at $500K, but most recent loans were $350K or less. Apply for secured, in-house-approved SBA money; skip it if you need speed or posted rates.
Colony Bank at a glance
Colony Bank, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, makes SBA 7(a) loans nationwide.
| Colony Bank | |
|---|---|
| Lender type | FDIC-insured bank (cert 22257); SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 1975 (FDIC: 1976) / Fitzgerald, Georgia |
| Amounts | $500K to $5M stated (median SBA loan $150,000) |
| Cost (headline) | 7.75% to 11.0%, median 10.0% (last 12 months) |
| Term | 10 to 25 years |
| Status | Active; last SBA approval June 29, 2026 |
What is Colony Bank?
Colony Bank is a Fitzgerald, Georgia community bank founded in 1975, with about $3.6 billion in assets and 33 offices.
Its Small Business Specialty Lending team handles SBA 7(a), SBA 504 and USDA loans, and has approved 1,185 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $624.5M since FY2020 in 48 states. Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA data, FY2020–present, as of June 30, 2026 (data.sba.gov).
Colony Bank's SBA programs: 7(a) vs. 504
Colony Bank approves almost all SBA 7(a) loans in-house as a Preferred Lender: 156 of 160 in the last 12 months.
Pre-qualification comes first; underwriting then issues a commitment letter before closing. The bank lists 7(a) loans of $500K to $5M and 504 loans of $1M to $10M, over 10 to 25 years; 504 projects need at least 10% from the borrower. All 160 recent 7(a) loans had variable rates.
Colony Bank rates and fees
Colony Bank's SBA 7(a) loans in the year to June 30, 2026 started at 7.75% to 11.0%, median 10.0%. With Prime at 7.00%, SBA caps loans above $350K at 10.0% and loans of $250,001 to $350K at 11.5%. SBA charges a 3% guaranty fee on the guaranteed share of loans from $150,001 to $700K; Colony's own fees are unpublished.
Worked example: $350,000 over 10 years at 10.0% is $4,625.28 a month, or $205,033.09 in interest. Add the $7,875 guaranty fee ($350,000 × 75% × 3%) for total cost of $212,908.09, about 10.55% APR with the fee financed.
Colony Bank requirements
Colony Bank publishes no credit score or down payment minimum.
| Requirement | Colony Bank |
|---|---|
| Collateral | Taken on all 160 loans in the last 12 months |
| Personal guarantee | Owners of 20% or more |
| Business size | Must meet SBA size standards |
| Credit score / time in business | Lender does not publish |
Compare SBA 7(a) lenders, or see Lendistry for SBA 7(a) loans from $10,000 to $5M with a published 620 credit floor.
Frequently asked questions about Colony Bank
Is Colony Bank Legit? Yes. Colony Bank is an FDIC-insured bank (certificate 22257) operating since the 1970s. It is an SBA Preferred Lender with 1,185 SBA 7(a) approvals since FY2020, 22 of them later charged off (1.9% by count), and FDIC lists it as active.
How Long Does Colony Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? Colony Bank does not publish a timeline; standard SBA 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days. As a Preferred Lender it approves loans itself, skipping the 5 to 10 business days of SBA review other lenders add. Its SBA page says ordering third-party reports early speeds closing.
Does Colony Bank Lend to Startups? Yes. Eleven of Colony Bank's 160 SBA 7(a) loans in the 12 months to June 30, 2026 funded businesses not yet open; 17 financed a change of ownership and 4 went to businesses 2 years old or less. Expect collateral and a personal guarantee.
Where Is Colony Bank Located? Colony Bank is headquartered at 302 S. Main St. in Fitzgerald, Georgia, with 33 offices in Georgia, Alabama and Florida; parent Colony Bankcorp trades on the NYSE. Its SBA lending is national; only 8 of its last 160 SBA loans were in Georgia.
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: Established businesses anywhere in the U.S. that want a bank-held SBA 7(a) loan for working capital, equipment, real estate or a business purchase, and can pledge collateral.
Not for: Borrowers who want posted rates, funding within days, or an unsecured loan.
Lender List verdict: Colony Bank is a Georgia SBA Preferred Lender that approved 160 SBA 7(a) loans worth $85.7M in the 12 months to June 30, 2026, at a 10.0% median rate. Its site says 7(a) loans start at $500K, but most recent loans were $350K or less. Apply for secured, in-house-approved SBA money; skip it if you need speed or posted rates.
Colony Bank at a glance
Colony Bank, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, makes SBA 7(a) loans nationwide.
| Colony Bank | |
|---|---|
| Lender type | FDIC-insured bank (cert 22257); SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 1975 (FDIC: 1976) / Fitzgerald, Georgia |
| Amounts | $500K to $5M stated (median SBA loan $150,000) |
| Cost (headline) | 7.75% to 11.0%, median 10.0% (last 12 months) |
| Term | 10 to 25 years |
| Status | Active; last SBA approval June 29, 2026 |
What is Colony Bank?
Colony Bank is a Fitzgerald, Georgia community bank founded in 1975, with about $3.6 billion in assets and 33 offices.
Its Small Business Specialty Lending team handles SBA 7(a), SBA 504 and USDA loans, and has approved 1,185 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $624.5M since FY2020 in 48 states. Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA data, FY2020–present, as of June 30, 2026 (data.sba.gov).
Colony Bank's SBA programs: 7(a) vs. 504
Colony Bank approves almost all SBA 7(a) loans in-house as a Preferred Lender: 156 of 160 in the last 12 months.
Pre-qualification comes first; underwriting then issues a commitment letter before closing. The bank lists 7(a) loans of $500K to $5M and 504 loans of $1M to $10M, over 10 to 25 years; 504 projects need at least 10% from the borrower. All 160 recent 7(a) loans had variable rates.
Colony Bank rates and fees
Colony Bank's SBA 7(a) loans in the year to June 30, 2026 started at 7.75% to 11.0%, median 10.0%. With Prime at 7.00%, SBA caps loans above $350K at 10.0% and loans of $250,001 to $350K at 11.5%. SBA charges a 3% guaranty fee on the guaranteed share of loans from $150,001 to $700K; Colony's own fees are unpublished.
Worked example: $350,000 over 10 years at 10.0% is $4,625.28 a month, or $205,033.09 in interest. Add the $7,875 guaranty fee ($350,000 × 75% × 3%) for total cost of $212,908.09, about 10.55% APR with the fee financed.
Colony Bank requirements
Colony Bank publishes no credit score or down payment minimum.
| Requirement | Colony Bank |
|---|---|
| Collateral | Taken on all 160 loans in the last 12 months |
| Personal guarantee | Owners of 20% or more |
| Business size | Must meet SBA size standards |
| Credit score / time in business | Lender does not publish |
Compare SBA 7(a) lenders, or see Lendistry for SBA 7(a) loans from $10,000 to $5M with a published 620 credit floor.
Frequently asked questions about Colony Bank
Is Colony Bank Legit? Yes. Colony Bank is an FDIC-insured bank (certificate 22257) operating since the 1970s. It is an SBA Preferred Lender with 1,185 SBA 7(a) approvals since FY2020, 22 of them later charged off (1.9% by count), and FDIC lists it as active.
How Long Does Colony Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? Colony Bank does not publish a timeline; standard SBA 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days. As a Preferred Lender it approves loans itself, skipping the 5 to 10 business days of SBA review other lenders add. Its SBA page says ordering third-party reports early speeds closing.
Does Colony Bank Lend to Startups? Yes. Eleven of Colony Bank's 160 SBA 7(a) loans in the 12 months to June 30, 2026 funded businesses not yet open; 17 financed a change of ownership and 4 went to businesses 2 years old or less. Expect collateral and a personal guarantee.
Where Is Colony Bank Located? Colony Bank is headquartered at 302 S. Main St. in Fitzgerald, Georgia, with 33 offices in Georgia, Alabama and Florida; parent Colony Bankcorp trades on the NYSE. Its SBA lending is national; only 8 of its last 160 SBA loans were in Georgia.
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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