Korean-American banks across the United States recorded over $1.5 billion in loans from the Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026. According to SBA loan performance data for financial institutions nationwide for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 to June 2026), 14 Korean-American financial institutions across the country recorded a total of $1,580,861,700 in loans (7a). This loan performance by the Korean-American financial sector represents a 31.9% surge compared to the $1,198,271,000 recorded during the same period of the previous year, the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025. The average loan amount per borrower also increased.
For the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026, the average loan amount per borrower stood at $1,341,988, a 4.4% increase compared to $1,285,344 during the same period of the previous year. This growth is attributed to the parallel expansion of loan volumes as the scale and revenue of Korean-American businesses grew. Furthermore, the increase in SBA lending performance within the Korean-American financial sector is seen as a sign that companies have begun actively seeking SBA loans again, having recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration’s tariffs. As SBA loans—a major revenue source for the Korean-American financial sector—return to an upward trend, improvements in performance, including increased profits, are anticipated. These strong results are considered particularly significant as they occurred while the SBA suspended SBA loans to non-citizens starting in March of this year.
Looking at individual banks, Bank of Hope ranked 7th overall with a total of $369.46 million, the highest ranking not only among Korean-American banks but also among Asian banks. US Metro Bank ranked second among Korean-American financial institutions, entering the ‘Top 10’ for the first time by climbing to 10th place with a loan volume of $336.69 million. Following this, CBB Bank ranked 27th with $172.94 million, and Open Bank ranked 32nd with $154.59 million. Ten Korean-American financial institutions made the ‘Top 100,’ including
Metro City Bank ($138.64 million) at 34th, Hanmi Bank ($125.16 million) at 38th, PCB Bank ($71.04 million) at 61st, Centerstone SBA Lending ($57.43 million) at 71st, Woori America ($56.47 million) at 72nd, and Promise One Bank ($44.39 million) at 98th.
In terms of the number of loans, Bank of Hope had the highest number with 312, followed by US Metro Bank (178), Hanmi Bank (159), CBB Bank (99), Open Bank (91), and Metro City Bank (66). Along with the increase in loan volume, it was once again confirmed that Korean-American financial institutions remain national powerhouses in the SBA lending sector. It was found that a total of 1,137 financial institutions nationwide provided loans during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026, and this is reflected in the fact that 10 Korean-American institutions were included in the top 100 lending institutions. The reason Korean-American financial institutions continue to focus on SBA lending is that the SBA guarantees up to 75% of the loan amount for SBA 7(a) loans.
With a low risk of loss due to bad loans and the ability to bundle and sell SBA loan portfolios among financial institutions, these loans serve as one of the major sources of revenue. Experts predict that SBA loan performance will show a sustained upward trend, as the Federal Reserve (FRB) shifts toward a stance of lowering benchmark interest rates and Korean-American financial institutions engage in fierce competition for SBA loans targeting not only Koreans but also Asians and the mainstream market. Meanwhile, in the national rankings of SBA lenders, LiveOak Banking took first place with a loan volume of $1.65928 billion. Huntington National Bank ranked second with $1.04145 billion, followed by NewTech Bank in third place with $999.52 million.