Leader Bank
SBA 7(a) loans up to $4.99M (median $250K), median 9.5% variable rate, ~10-yr terms. SBA Preferred Lender in Arlington, MA. Best for local buyouts and refinancing.
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: Massachusetts owners buying a business, refinancing, or buying equipment or property with an SBA 7(a) loan, often around $250K.
Not for: Borrowers who need cash within days, a posted rate, or a lender with steady SBA volume this year.
Lender List verdict: Leader Bank is an Arlington SBA Preferred Lender that approved 44 SBA 7(a) loans worth $32.8M in the 12 months to June 30, 2026; 181 of its 283 SBA loans since FY2020 went to Massachusetts firms. Recent loans started near 9.5% variable, but approvals slowed sharply in FY2026.
Leader Bank at a glance
| Leader Bank | |
|---|---|
| Lender type | FDIC-insured national bank; SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 2002 / Arlington, Massachusetts |
| Amounts | $4K to $4.99M (median $250K, SBA data) |
| Cost (headline) | Median 9.5% variable, last 12 months |
| Term | Median 120 months |
| Status | Active; last SBA approval June 23, 2026 |
What is Leader Bank?
Leader Bank, N.A. is a $5.28 billion national bank founded in 2002 in Arlington, Massachusetts. It has made 283 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2020, 181 of them in Massachusetts, and says it ranked fourth among the state's 7(a) lenders last year.
Leader Bank's SBA programs: how a loan works
A Leader Bank SBA 7(a) loan is approved in-house and typically runs 10 years with monthly payments.
- Uses named by the bank: buying a business, refinancing debt, equipment, commercial real estate
- Programs: standard 7(a) plus SBA Express (24.7% of its loans since FY2020)
- Volume: 87 loans averaging $782,852 in FY2025; 19 averaging $830,326 in FY2026 through June 30
Leader Bank rates and fees: what it really costs
Leader Bank's SBA loans had a median 9.5% starting rate in the 12 months to June 30, 2026. That implies 2.0 to 2.75 points over the 6.75% to 7.50% Prime of the period; the spread is unpublished. SBA caps loans over $350K at Prime + 3.0%, or 10.0% today. The SBA guaranty fee is 3% of the guaranteed share on loans of $150,001 to $700K.
Worked example: $350,000 over 10 years at 9.5% costs $4,528.91 a month. Add the $7,875 guaranty fee ($350,000 × 75% × 3%) and total cost is $201,344.74, about 10.0% APR.
Leader Bank requirements
Leader Bank applies SBA rules and posts no minimums of its own.
| Requirement | Leader Bank minimum |
|---|---|
| Business size | Within the SBA size standard |
| Equity injection | 10% for startups and buyouts |
| Personal guarantee | Owners of 20% or more |
| Credit score / time in business | Lender does not publish |
Frequently asked questions about Leader Bank
Is Leader Bank Legit? Yes. Leader Bank, N.A. is an FDIC-insured national bank operating since 2002 with $5.28 billion in assets, 8 FDIC-listed offices and NMLS #449250. It is an SBA Preferred Lender and has recorded one charge-off on 283 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2020.
Where Is Leader Bank Located? Leader Bank is headquartered at 180 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, Massachusetts. It has branches across Greater Boston, Andover and Falmouth, plus a loan center in Avon, Connecticut. Its SBA team answers at sbaloans@leaderbank.com or 781-641-8686; its SBA loans reach 30 states.
How Long Does Leader Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? Leader Bank does not publish a timeline. Standard 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days, and Preferred Lenders skip 5 to 10 business days of SBA review. SBA Express, which Leader uses, is usually faster but caps loans at $500,000.
Does Leader Bank Lend to Startups? Leader Bank does not say whether its SBA loans go to startups, though it lists entrepreneurs and startups as a client segment. SBA rules require startups to put in at least 10% of project cost, and owners of 20% or more must personally guarantee the loan.
Compare SBA 7(a) lenders, or see New England peers Bankwell Bank and Liberty Bank.
SBA figures: SBA 7(a) FOIA data, FY2020–present, as of June 30, 2026 (data.sba.gov).
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: Massachusetts owners buying a business, refinancing, or buying equipment or property with an SBA 7(a) loan, often around $250K.
Not for: Borrowers who need cash within days, a posted rate, or a lender with steady SBA volume this year.
Lender List verdict: Leader Bank is an Arlington SBA Preferred Lender that approved 44 SBA 7(a) loans worth $32.8M in the 12 months to June 30, 2026; 181 of its 283 SBA loans since FY2020 went to Massachusetts firms. Recent loans started near 9.5% variable, but approvals slowed sharply in FY2026.
Leader Bank at a glance
| Leader Bank | |
|---|---|
| Lender type | FDIC-insured national bank; SBA Preferred Lender |
| Founded / HQ | 2002 / Arlington, Massachusetts |
| Amounts | $4K to $4.99M (median $250K, SBA data) |
| Cost (headline) | Median 9.5% variable, last 12 months |
| Term | Median 120 months |
| Status | Active; last SBA approval June 23, 2026 |
What is Leader Bank?
Leader Bank, N.A. is a $5.28 billion national bank founded in 2002 in Arlington, Massachusetts. It has made 283 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2020, 181 of them in Massachusetts, and says it ranked fourth among the state's 7(a) lenders last year.
Leader Bank's SBA programs: how a loan works
A Leader Bank SBA 7(a) loan is approved in-house and typically runs 10 years with monthly payments.
- Uses named by the bank: buying a business, refinancing debt, equipment, commercial real estate
- Programs: standard 7(a) plus SBA Express (24.7% of its loans since FY2020)
- Volume: 87 loans averaging $782,852 in FY2025; 19 averaging $830,326 in FY2026 through June 30
Leader Bank rates and fees: what it really costs
Leader Bank's SBA loans had a median 9.5% starting rate in the 12 months to June 30, 2026. That implies 2.0 to 2.75 points over the 6.75% to 7.50% Prime of the period; the spread is unpublished. SBA caps loans over $350K at Prime + 3.0%, or 10.0% today. The SBA guaranty fee is 3% of the guaranteed share on loans of $150,001 to $700K.
Worked example: $350,000 over 10 years at 9.5% costs $4,528.91 a month. Add the $7,875 guaranty fee ($350,000 × 75% × 3%) and total cost is $201,344.74, about 10.0% APR.
Leader Bank requirements
Leader Bank applies SBA rules and posts no minimums of its own.
| Requirement | Leader Bank minimum |
|---|---|
| Business size | Within the SBA size standard |
| Equity injection | 10% for startups and buyouts |
| Personal guarantee | Owners of 20% or more |
| Credit score / time in business | Lender does not publish |
Frequently asked questions about Leader Bank
Is Leader Bank Legit? Yes. Leader Bank, N.A. is an FDIC-insured national bank operating since 2002 with $5.28 billion in assets, 8 FDIC-listed offices and NMLS #449250. It is an SBA Preferred Lender and has recorded one charge-off on 283 SBA 7(a) loans since FY2020.
Where Is Leader Bank Located? Leader Bank is headquartered at 180 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, Massachusetts. It has branches across Greater Boston, Andover and Falmouth, plus a loan center in Avon, Connecticut. Its SBA team answers at sbaloans@leaderbank.com or 781-641-8686; its SBA loans reach 30 states.
How Long Does Leader Bank Take to Close an SBA Loan? Leader Bank does not publish a timeline. Standard 7(a) loans often take 60 to 90 days, and Preferred Lenders skip 5 to 10 business days of SBA review. SBA Express, which Leader uses, is usually faster but caps loans at $500,000.
Does Leader Bank Lend to Startups? Leader Bank does not say whether its SBA loans go to startups, though it lists entrepreneurs and startups as a client segment. SBA rules require startups to put in at least 10% of project cost, and owners of 20% or more must personally guarantee the loan.
Compare SBA 7(a) lenders, or see New England peers Bankwell Bank and Liberty Bank.
SBA figures: SBA 7(a) FOIA data, FY2020–present, as of June 30, 2026 (data.sba.gov).
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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