Will My Business Loan Impact My Personal Credit Score?

A business loan is one of the most popular methods for those starting a business and they are a relatively simple way to gain the funds you need to get your business up and running. When looking to build a business, a large majority of entrepreneurs will need a business loan, and these are a great way to get your business idea off the ground if you don't have a lump sum sitting around (and let's face it, not many of us do!)

There are a few different types of business loan, such as short term loans, term loans and equipment financing, and the type people choose depends on factors such as the amount they need to borrow, the duration they think it will take to pay it back and what the money is actually needed for.

A particular concern that many small business entrepreneurs raise, other than whether they will actually be approved for the loan, is whether applying for a business loan will impact on their own or their partner or spouses personal credit rating. It's understandable as even though we expect our businesses to do well, there are factors beyond our control and so it is sensible to look after our private affairs well.

The recommended way to ensure your business credit has little or no effect on your personal credit rating is to keep the two separate. If you make sure your business has a separate identity by registering it for its own Tax ID with the IRS, opening a separate bank account and registering the business at an address other than your home, you build the foundation on which you can build on your business' own credit rating.

For a brand new business the bank or other lender will often take your personal credit into account, as they have no business credit score to use, and so in this case a business loan may affect your personal credit score and can lower it slightly.

In cases of an existing business it is more likely that you will be qualified for a loan by the lender on the basis of the business' credit rating.

Like most issues relating to finance, with business loans there is no single rule that applies for everyone, as a range of factors can affect your application and these vary quite widely from case to case. However as a guideline, loans for a new business are more likely to affect your personal rating than borrowing money for an existing company.