Every ranking, rate range, and recommendation on PeerSense is grounded in verifiable public data. We do not accept advertising revenue, sponsored placements, or pay-to-play rankings from lenders. This page explains exactly how our data, scoring, and editorial processes work.
Last updated: April 2026 · Written by Ed Freeman, Founder & Managing Director
Public loan-level data from the U.S. Small Business Administration covering every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan originated since FY2010. Fields include lender, amount, NAICS code, franchise brand, state, approval date, and loan status. Updated quarterly.
Source: SBA.gov Open Data
Real-time benchmark rates including Prime Rate, 10-Year Treasury, SOFR, and related indices. These benchmarks are used to contextualize the rate ranges shown on our product pages and are updated daily.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Publicly filed Franchise Disclosure Documents provide Item 19 financial performance data, franchise fee structures, territory information, and litigation history. PeerSense cross-references FDD data with SBA lending patterns to produce franchise-specific financing intelligence.
Source: State franchise registration filings
Rate ranges and deal parameters are sourced from published lender term sheets, recent transaction experience, and direct capital source relationships. Rates are approximate and include a verification date.
Source: Direct lender relationships (500+ capital sources)
Our SBA lender rankings are derived entirely from public SBA origination data. We rank lenders on the following criteria:
Total Loan Volume ($)
Total dollar amount of SBA loans originated
Number of Loans
Total count of individual loans closed
Average Loan Size
Indicates deal size specialization
Industry Breadth
Number of distinct NAICS codes served
Franchise Activity
Volume of franchise-specific SBA lending
Geographic Coverage
Number of states with active lending
Weights are applied to produce a composite score for each lender. Rankings are recalculated quarterly when new SBA data is released. PeerSense does not accept payment for lender placement.
The FPI is PeerSense's proprietary composite score measuring franchise fundability — how likely an SBA lender is to approve financing for a given franchise brand. It is calculated from six weighted factors:
| Factor | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| SBA Loan Volume | 25% | Total dollar volume of SBA loans to this franchise brand |
| Loan Count | 20% | Number of individual SBA loans originated for this brand |
| Default Rate | 20% | Charge-off and default rate vs. SBA portfolio average |
| Lender Diversity | 15% | Number of distinct lenders willing to finance this brand |
| Avg Loan Size | 10% | Average deal size indicates borrower sophistication |
| Growth Trend | 10% | Year-over-year change in SBA lending activity |
FPI scores range from 0 to 100. Franchises scoring 80+ are considered highly fundable by SBA lenders. Scores are recalculated quarterly. Browse franchise scores at /franchises.
Rate ranges on PeerSense product pages represent approximate market pricing based on:
Important: Actual rates depend on property type, LTV, DSCR, borrower experience, geographic market, and conditions at the time of application. Rate ranges shown are indicative and not a commitment to lend. All rate data includes a verification date.
PeerSense does not accept advertising revenue, sponsored content, or payment for lender rankings or placement. All rankings are data-driven.
All content on PeerSense is written or reviewed by Ed Freeman, a licensed capital advisor with direct transaction experience in the products discussed.
Statistics cited on PeerSense are sourced from government data (SBA.gov, FRED), SEC filings, or direct lender documentation. We do not cite unverifiable third-party estimates.
If you identify an error in our data or content, contact us at info@peersense.com. Corrections are published within 48 hours with a dated update note.
PeerSense is a capital advisory firm, not a lender. We earn fees at closing when we successfully place a borrower with a capital source. This compensation model means we are incentivized to find the best terms for borrowers, not to push specific lenders.
If you have questions about our methodology, want to report a data error, or are a journalist seeking to cite PeerSense data, contact Ed Freeman directly.