Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company logo

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company

SBA Preferred Lender in New Orleans: SBA 7(a) up to $5M, 9.5% median rate, collateral required, 33% of recent loans to startups. Best for startups and franchisees.

SBA & Government-Backed Loans:
SBA 7(a) Loans
Tags:
#Working Capital#Secured#Buying A Business

Rates & Cost

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

Estimated APR:
~10.04% APR on a $350K 10-yr SBA 7(a) at the 9.5% median rate incl. 3% guaranty fee (Lender List est.); last-12-month median 9.5% (7.75% to 13.5%), 12.0% on SBA Express
Pricing (as quoted by lender):
Lender does not publish SBA rates; SBA 7(a) FOIA data (as of Jun 30, 2026): 9.5% median starting rate last 12 months; 9.5% median on loans over $350,000
Cost to borrow $100K for 6 months:
≈$6,390 (6 months' interest at 9.5% on a 10-yr SBA 7(a), $4,690, plus $1,700 SBA guaranty fee; bank fees not published)
Fees:
SBA guaranty fee (2% of guaranteed portion up to $150,000; 3% on $150,001 to $700,000); bank closing fees not published
Early payoff:
Lender does not publish its own policy; SBA fee only on 15+-year terms when ≥25% is prepaid in years 1 to 3 (5%/3%/1%)
Pricing transparency (0-3):
0

Repayment Terms

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

Term:
84 to 310 months in the 12 months to Jun 30, 2026; 120 months most common (61 of 143); 25-year terms used for real estate (SBA FOIA data)
Repayment schedule:
Monthly amortizing payments; 141 of 143 recent SBA loans variable-rate (tied to Prime); all 21 recent SBA Express loans were revolving lines of credit
Flexibility in slow months:
Low — monthly amortizing payments; nearly all variable-rate loans reprice with Prime; 84- to 310-month terms keep payments small

Eligibility & Access

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

Funding amount:
SBA 7(a) up to $5,000,000 (SBA program max). SBA 7(a) FOIA data: $50,000 to $4,383,000 in the 12 months to Jun 30, 2026, median $702,100
Minimum revenue:
Lender does not publish; must meet SBA size standards
Minimum time in business:
Lender does not publish; 47 of 143 SBA loans in the last 12 months funded businesses not yet open, 17 more went to firms 2 years old or younger
Credit check:
Lender does not publish a minimum score; full credit underwriting
Personal guarantee:
Required from owners of 20% or more (SBA rule)
Collateral & lien:
Secured — collateral on all 143 SBA 7(a) loans in the 12 months to Jun 30, 2026; 10%+ equity injection for startups and business purchases (SBA rule)

Speed & Service

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

Time to funding:
Lender does not publish; standard SBA 7(a) often 60 to 90 days to funding, Express about 30 days (NerdWallet); Preferred Lender approval skips the 5 to 10 business-day SBA review
Lender status:
Active (143 SBA 7(a) approvals in the 12 months to Jun 30, 2026; FDIC active)

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:
Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company
Registered in:
Louisiana (FDIC cert #32974)
Company formed:
Chartered 1990
Website domain registered:
Oct 1995
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Best for: Startups, franchisees and owners in Texas, Florida, North Carolina or the Gulf Coast needing a $150K to $5M SBA 7(a) loan.

Not for: Borrowers who want posted rates, unsecured credit or loans under $50K.

Lender List verdict: Gulf Coast Bank and Trust approved 143 SBA 7(a) loans worth $143.7 million in the year to June 2026 at a 9.5% median rate, a third for businesses not yet open. All were secured.

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust at a glance

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust
Lender typeIndependent state bank (FDIC cert 32974); SBA Preferred Lender
Founded / HQ1990 / New Orleans, Louisiana
ProductsSBA 7(a) to $5M; SBA Express lines
Cost9.5% median starting rate (last 12 months)
Term84 to 310 months; 120 most common
StatusActive

What is Gulf Coast Bank and Trust?

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company is a New Orleans community bank chartered in 1990, with $3.9 billion in assets and 23 locations in four Gulf states; its SBA lending is national.

How Gulf Coast Bank's SBA loans work

Gulf Coast Bank's SBA loans are variable-rate and secured: $702,100 median, $1,005,136 average in the year to June 2026.

  • Startups: 47 of 143 recent loans
  • Franchises: 33 loans
  • Collateral: taken on all 143

Gulf Coast Bank's SBA programs

Gulf Coast Bank approves most SBA loans in-house as a Preferred Lender.

  • Preferred Lender 7(a): 120 loans, $140,000 to $4,383,000
  • SBA Express: 21 revolving lines, $50,000 to $315,400
  • FY2025: 145 approvals ($142.3 million)

Gulf Coast Bank SBA rates and fees

Gulf Coast Bank's median SBA starting rate was 9.5% in the year to June 2026 (Express: 12.0%); Prime is 7.00%. The SBA guaranty fee is 3% of the guaranteed share on loans of $150,001 to $700,000.

Worked example: a $350,000, 10-year 7(a) at 9.5% costs $4,528.91 a month, or $193,469.74 in interest. The $7,875 guaranty fee lifts the APR to about 10.04%. The 9.5% rate is under the SBA's 11.5% cap here; above $350,000 the cap is Prime plus 3% (10.0%).

Gulf Coast Bank SBA loan requirements

Gulf Coast Bank publishes no credit or revenue minimum.

RequirementGulf Coast Bank minimum
Business sizeMust meet SBA size standards
Personal credit scoreLender does not publish
Equity injection10%+ for startups and business purchases
Collateral / guaranteeCollateral on all; guarantee from 20%+ owners
Time to closeNot published; 60 to 90 days typical for 7(a), about 30 for Express

Frequently asked questions about Gulf Coast Bank and Trust

Is Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Legit? Yes. Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company is an FDIC-insured Louisiana bank, certificate 32974, open since 1990. It holds $3.9 billion in assets and has made 679 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2020, with only 5 charge-offs. It approved 120 of 143 recent SBA loans as a Preferred Lender.

Where Are Gulf Coast Bank Locations? Gulf Coast Bank has 23 locations in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, headquartered in New Orleans. You need not live nearby: only 11 of its 143 recent SBA loans financed Louisiana projects, and its SBA borrowers since FY2020 span 44 states, led by Texas (141) and Florida (119).

How Long Does Gulf Coast Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? The bank publishes no timeline; a standard 7(a) typically takes 60 to 90 days to fund and SBA Express about 30 days. As a Preferred Lender, Gulf Coast Bank skips the separate 5 to 10 business-day SBA review on most loans.

Does Gulf Coast Bank Lend to Startups? Yes. In the year to June 2026, 47 of its 143 SBA loans funded businesses not yet open and 17 more went to firms two years old or younger. Bring a business plan, 10%+ equity, collateral and a personal guarantee.

Compare SBA 7(a) lenders, including SouthState Bank.

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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