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Sunday, February 5th
Funding Circle is a great choice among peer-to-peer lending companies. Its cofounders created the company as small business owners themselves, who were frustrated with their attempts to access financial assistance to grow their business even when their company was thriving. Funding Circle was designed to be a better solution for American small business owners, although their customers come from not just the US but also the UK, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. More than 15,000 loans have been funded through Funding Circle since 2010, with a total of more than $2 billion loaned.
Standout process
One thing that makes Funding Circle stand out among providers of business loans is their transparency throughout the entire loan process. While some companies make it difficult to determine interest rates and fees without reading the fine print, Funding Circle clearly lists every possible cost on their Rates and Fees page:
Very competitive
Not only are Funding Circle's costs and fees readily available, they are extremely competitive within the business loans market. Funding Circle loans range from $25,000 to $500,000, considerably more than many of the lenders in our review.
We were also impressed by Funding Circle's A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, as an accredited business since 2013.
Loan criteria
In order to qualify for a loan with Funding Circle, borrowers must meet several criteria. For loans under $300,000, applicants must provide documentation of the two most recent year's business tax returns, the most recent year of their personal tax return, and the six most recent months' business bank statements, For loans over $300,000, applicants must also submit a year-to-date income statement and balance sheet, and an Outstanding Business Loans & Credit Worksheet available from Funding Circle upon request.
Those documents will be requested after the borrower has completed the short online application form and received a phone call from one of Funding Circle's specialists. They will typically call within two hours of submitting the online application. Once the borrower's information is verified and the loan is approved, funds are available within 5-10 days.
Impressive resource center
We were also impressed by Funding Circle's Resource Center, full of blog posts, videos, and other sources of information to help small businesses with their efforts to grow and succeed. The entire site is clean and easy to navigate, inspiring confidence in Funding Circle's ability to genuinely provide borrowers with an all-around excellent experience.
Excellent choice
Because of their transparency with respect to interest rates and fees, their excellent rating with the BBB, and their deep commitment to helping small business owners get the funding to grow their businesses, we give Funding Circle very high marks. They are an excellent choice for business owners in need of some extra funding.
With all the difficulties in today's economy, many people are choosing to open their own business instead of working for a traditional employer. Whether you're just starting your business, expanding your already-established business, or even hanging out a shingle as an online company, it's likely that at some point you'll need a business loan to successfully meet your customer's needs and your business goals.
In the past, small business owners relied heavily on traditional brick-and-mortar banks in order to finance their business loans. Often that meant that borrowers had to rely on their own reputation and relationship with their local bank. Getting the lowest possible interest rate was also more challenging, since there were few lending options from which to choose.
Fortunately, business owners today can choose among many lenders to find the best terms and interest rates available. In addition to the old local options, small business borrowers now have much more and better choices through various lenders on the Internet that specialize in small business loans.
There are many factors that you should consider before selecting a lender for your business loan. Some of these include:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Business Loan programs available today. We hope this information helps you find the best loan for your small business at an affordable rate!
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