SBA Waives the Ten Percent Equity Rule for Veteran Buyers

Starting Veterans Day, veteran entrepreneurs acquiring a business through the 7(a) loan program can raise the entire required down payment from outside sources: seller notes, investor capital, standby debt.

No longer forced to drain personal savings just to qualify.

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler framed it as both a tribute to service and a direct answer to the Silver Tsunami, where 51% of business owners with employees are 55 or older.

VXL has been structuring veteran acquisitions around SBA 7(a) and 504 since day one, so this change removes one of the biggest friction points we see in the deal pipeline.

If you are a veteran ready to buy, the runway just got wider.

Source: SBA news release 26-117, published November 9, 2026, during National Veterans Small Business Week. Full release: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/11/09/sba-establishes-new-7a-equity-flexibility-veterans-small-business-acquisitions