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Bank of America

Is This Your Business?
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6.2

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: August 4th, 2022

Bank of America is an established banking institution that offers a variety of secured financing options for businesses. They offer business loans, business lines of credit, and business credit cards, and they are a preferred SBA lender. Bank of American was incorporated in 1998, though the bank was originally founded in 1949. Consumers that choose Bank of America should remember that they must have a credit score of 550 or higher.

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The Good

  • Many Loan Options
  • Loan Process
  • Transparent

Many Loan Options

Bank of America offers a selection of business loan options, including a standard business loan and real estate, vehicle, and equipment loans and lease purchases. They also offer business lines of credit and business credit cards. Bank of America is a preferred SBA lender and offers information and help applying for and securing an SBA loan.

Loan Process

Their loan process focuses on five C's to determine the creditworthiness of a business:

  • Capacity: Does the business have the financial capacity to support debt and expenses?
  • Capital: Is there enough to support the financing the business wants?
  • Collateral: What accounts receivable, inventory, cash, equipment, and real estate does the business have to secure loans?
  • Conditions: The state of the economy, trends in the industry, and pending legislation relative to the business may have an effect on a business's ability to make payments.
  • Character: Work experience, experience in the industry, and personal credit history are all traits the bank will consider.

Transparent

In general, finding information about business loans from banks is very difficult. Even though banks generally have lower interest rates than alternative lenders, there doesn't seem to be a standard interest rate (possibly too many factors to even give a range online). Also, it is difficult for new businesses to qualify for bank loans because the requirements are so steep. Bank of America was slightly more transparent than other banks, but information was still difficult to find. A few points we were able to find reflected positively on Bank of America:

  • Long / flexible term length (2-20 years)
  • Loan amounts of $5,000 - $25,000
  • Available in all 50 states
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The Bad

  • Business Collateral
  • Missing Information
  • Account Requirements
  • Reputation

Business Collateral

Because Bank of America provides traditional bank financing, many small businesses may not have the collateral needed to secure loans. General business assets, a certificate of deposit (CD), or real estate is required as collateral against a standard loan. Bank of America also requires a business to have been operating for at least two years.

Missing Information

There are several key pieces of information we believe business owners should have access to before applying for a loan that Bank of America did not provide:

  • Interest rates
  • Minimum credit score
  • Minimum annual revenue
  • Prepayment penalties
  • Time to funding

Account Requirements

While a Bank of America account is not required in order to apply for a loan, it is required to accept a loan in order to facilitate deposits and withdrawals, including automatic repayments. There are standard closing cost fees of 0.5 percent for business loans, as well as the potential for additional fees that will depend on the type of loan. However, if an individual or business already has a good relationship with Bank of America, those fees can be waived. A business line of credit has upfront fees of $150, $250, or 0.5 percent, depending on the line of credit amount, and the yearly renewal fees are the same.

Reputation

After 2008, the number of negative reviews and complaints for banking institutions increased dramatically, and Bank of America has received a particularly large number of negative reviews. While many are focused on a customer's experience with a specific branch or location, the majority of complaints center on poor customer service, unnecessary fees that were not reversed or refunded, and a lack of upfront information about fees or policies (or policies that seem to change without warning). In an industry where customer service is paramount to every aspect of business, many of the complaints centered on customer service representatives who were unhelpful or who did not seem to know or understand the bank's policies. There have also been complaints circulated that Bank of America is not small business friendly and is more geared toward larger, more profitable businesses.

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The Bottom Line

Bank of America is an established, reputable financial institution that offers several solid lending options to business owners, from traditional loans for one-time sums to business lines of credit for ongoing payments. Bank of American requires quite a bit of information in order to apply and be approved for a loan, and there is a wait time for both approval and to receive the funds. There are fees associated with any type of loan, and in general, you will pay less interest with a bank then you will with an alternative lender. In the last several year, Bank of America has had a higher rate of turning down business loan applications than other banks; however, they are thriving and are currently one of the largest banks in the United States.

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Star Rating

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4.1

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27 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

48%

4 grade

19%

3 grade

26%

2 grade

7%

1 grade

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Steven Shimmin

Always had success with Bank of America, be it checking, savings, car loans, small business loans, home loans. They have trained staff to direct you and help you through the process. I owned a small cafe and wanted to make some improvements so I put together a proposal and business plan to search out a $ 50,000 loan. The Bank of America representative worked with me closely over 3-4 visits at my branch and helped me complete the paperwork and secure the loan with great terms. It was very rewarding and a win-win for both of us. Thank you so much.

2 years ago

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Samarra Miller Orlando, FL

When my husband and I were looking for a loan to start our business we decided to try out BOA . We were introduced to Andrew he was very patience and very knowledgeable, and explained to me every step of the process. He handled the process quickly and was very organized. He was available every time I had a question to ask, and most important of all, he was very honest.

2 years ago

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Erinmarie Xian Seffner, FL

BOA approved my SBL in seconds (probably bc I have history with them) - the process from start to finish was quite painless. I had talked with someone in person at a branch in passing and then decided to try and do it online *because my hours dont always align with banks* and to my delight it was easy and effective. Nothing to add!

2 years ago

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thomas Lovin Duluth, GA

Bank of America is a good bank to go through for a business loan. They worked well with me and can work around bad credit scores. They had good customer relations and got my loan approved fast.

1 year ago

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William Wallworth Fall River, MA

Yes there services are great and there interest rates are good it's been a long time since I've had a loan with them but I no people who recently gotten one and they are very happy so I'd say they are still doing the right thing for people in business amen to that.

1 year ago

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Robbie

We had a home equity line with Bank of America. Then we refinance our house and were told we had to pay it off in order to close, which we did. We contacted Bank of America to ask if we could re-open the equity line. They refused. So when we needed funding to buy another property, we went with our local bank and got a 3% HELOC. We are not impressed with Bank of America and will not open or continue any more accounts with them.

1 year ago

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scotty Saint Paul, MN

I set up a business checking account with Bank of America I did everything online which is nice I never stepped one foot in an actual bank or any of their branches and it turned out that I had another option to use as a bank to have an business debit account. So I decided to go with that route since it kept everything under on umbrella and when I went to go and cancel my or close my business account which reminded was just a debit card with checks small annual fee nothing special they made it so difficult for me to close my account to the point where I got the BBB involved and after some talks with the VDB they finally closed my account completely not leaving one or two pieces left open like they kept doing and I was free from that burden or a weight lifted on my shoulders just one last thing I got to worry about as a small business owner. But I'll just because of how difficult they made it for me to close that account I get it they don't want to lose customers but come on, I probably would not recommend Bank of America to my friends or family. And to this day I still don't use them for anything

2 years ago

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Michelle Crane Phoenix, AZ

We have applied for several loans through the Bank of America and haven’t had any issues with them. They were very professional to work with and had excellent customer service

2 years ago Edited March 24, 2022

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Basil48 Southport, NC

WE BECAME CLIENTS OF THE BoA BRANCH IN SOUTHPORT, NC, SEVERAL YEARS UPON OUR RETIREMENT IN NC. THIS LOCATION OFFERS A VARIETY OF SERVICES, INCLUDING MERRIL LYNCH, SEVERAL ATMS, ETC. WE HAVE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS WITH BOA. WE ALWAYS FIND THE ASSOCIATES HERE MOST PROFESSIONAL AND ACOMMODATING.

2 years ago

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ramesh pothuru Morrisville, PA

Bank verified my business credit history and financial receivables from my customers and according to credit worthiness, bank approved loan. Bank verified profit & loss statement.

2 years ago

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K.M. P. Charlotte, NC

We liked that we were able to sit down face to face with a customer service associate & really go over all of our needs, wants, and desires for our business plan. The associate was thorough and asked a lot of great questions that helped us make a decision on what we thought we needed to get a loan for vs. what we really did need. Really appreciated the time taken to help us take our business to the next level.

2 years ago

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Daniel Eibeck Wayne, PA

The bank of America was my first bank. As an 18 year old, they were super patient and helpful in explaining processes and benefits to me. Highly recommend!

1 year ago

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Jesse Prince Little Rock, AR

I was the owner of JVL's and used them as my business bank for many years. Very fast service when I needed a loan for new cement mixing equipment. I'm retired from that trade now but would use them again for sure.

1 year ago

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Noureddine Lalami Brentwood, CA

Bank of America's business loan process is straight forward and they are very upfront about their rates, fees and terms. Their rates may be a bit higher but they provide good service from beginning to end.

2 years ago Edited March 28, 2022

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Ashlyn Elwood Marietta, GA

Bank of America business loans are pretty good, but I wish they had more options in terms of how long it takes to pay it back. The interest rates are usually pretty low and are well laid out, however, I have found more competitive prices with the other companies we have used.

2 years ago

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Dana Hatfield Bullhead City, AZ

Dealt with B of A while I was on unemployment. Their tellers weren't the most personable I've ever dealt with. The app I had to use was down much of the time. Trying to call the 800 number for customer service was a joke. Actually had an agent hang up on me once. Unacceptable.

2 years ago

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Darren Cardwell Riverton, UT

Typically have quality trained professionals serving the business community. Lots of red tape but not unlike most other big banks.

6 years ago

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SHAN S Fayetteville, NC

One of the best banks to use for personal and business. They have incentives they give monthly for qualifying purchases to receive money back.

1 year ago Edited August 23, 2022

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P D

I like the updated technology but there is a charge for EVERYTHING! Tend to value consumers with high money accounts but not those that might not have much. I have had them over 15 years.

2 years ago

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Belsy Franco Columbia, SC

Bank Of America, Working with them is excellent, they offer very low interest rates and they have very good customer service, I highly recommend them

2 years ago

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mark dachota

Black hole of banking. Zero customer service. Services have become 800 number calls with no knowledge of the customer and no knowledge of the banking relationship.

6 years ago

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World Traveler Vienna, VA

Great customer service and timely resolution regarding my loan. Would definitely work with them again.

1 year ago

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Rick Froid Park Ridge, IL

We had a nice relationship with BOA. Excellent online access & customer service. Friendly & Good rates !

2 years ago

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anupam sumessur Curtis Bay, MD

With a new credit history, Bank of America was able to give me a competitive rate for my small business.

2 years ago Edited March 23, 2022

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Demetrace Williams Milwaukee, WI

Bank of America always offers me a great APR and they are willing to work with you, if you miss a payment.

2 years ago

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Christopher Taylor Saint Cloud, MN

They gave me a loan that was smaller then I would have liked but it was hard even getting that! They were helpful and listen to what I had to say!

1 year ago

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DM DM Warrington, PA

Was not easy to work with. I ended up using someone else.

2 years ago