Most small business loans are required by the lender to be “fully collateralized”, i.e. have a collateral value equal to or greater than the value of the loan, usually including a discount rate. For example, at a 20% discount rate on an $800,000 loan, the collateral must have a market value of $1,000,000 to be fully collateralized.
SBA 7(a) loans are a bit different. Full collateralization is required if possible, which is usually only the case for loans involving real estate that provides most or all of the needed collateral value. If the loan doesn’t involve real estate – or if the value of the real estate isn’t enough – other common forms of collateral may be used, such as a life insurance policy taken out on the borrower or a lien on the borrower’s home.