#business-credit
Build and manage business credit scores and creditworthiness
Embedded cards underwrite from live sales data instead of your FICO score — faster approval, but floating limits and exit terms to read first.
CARD Act protections stop at consumer cards: business issuers can reprice existing balances and charge uncapped fees. Seven habits close the gap.
Business loan forbearance pauses payments for 3–6 months, but interest accrues and skipped amounts come due after — ask your lender before you miss one.
The Fed raised rates to 3.75–4% on Sept 16, 2026 and prime hit 7.00% the next day: every prime-plus business line, SBA 7(a) loan and card reprices now.
SBA rules require an unlimited personal guarantee from every owner holding 20% or more, and 59% of small businesses with debt have pledged one. Here is what SBA Form 148 actually obligates you to, the five traps founders miss — including guarantees that outlive your ownership — and the caps, burn-offs and release letters worth negotiating before you sign.
The State Small Business Credit Initiative routes nearly $10 billion in federal money into state loan guarantee, collateral support, loan participation, capital access and venture programs delivered through local banks, with a $20 million loan cap and a 750-employee ceiling. This guide covers who qualifies, how SSBCI differs from SBA 7(a), the no-stacking rule, and the five steps to get a participating lender to enroll your loan.
Amazon's Prime Business Card and Amazon Business Card, issued by U.S. Bank on Mastercard, launched May 13, 2026 with 5% or 3% back on Amazon purchases up to a combined $150,000 annual cap. This guide shows small businesses how to reconcile the card migration, book reward credits as cost reductions, and track 0% APR installment purchases as liabilities.
The IRS assessed about $4.8 billion in estimated-tax penalties on 15 million-plus returns in FY2024. Four fixable bookkeeping habits — commingled accounts, spreadsheet ledgers, personal credit for business spending, and lax records — cause most of the damage, and each has a same-day fix.
In April 2025 the SBA 7(a) small loan cap fell from $500,000 to $350,000, the SBSS minimum rose to 165, guaranty fees returned, and MCA debt can no longer be refinanced with SBA proceeds — seven hard-filter changes that decide approval before a human reads your file.
A brand-new LLC can generate a scorable business credit file in 60 to 90 days with no revenue: lock NAP consistency, get a free D-U-N-S Number, open three to five reporting net-30 vendor accounts, and pay every invoice between day 10 and day 20 — PAYDEX rewards early payment, and a single 10-day late can cost 15 to 20 points.
Build business credit from scratch with net-30 vendor accounts that report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax. Get your free D-U-N-S Number, enforce NAP consistency, and follow a 90-day plan to a scorable PAYDEX and Intelliscore.
The CFPB's $8 late-fee rule was blocked in court. Now the bureau is revisiting late fees via an advance notice — 15-day grace, 25% of minimum, and tighter immunity. Learn what small businesses carrying balances should expect.
