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# What Lenders Check First When Reviewing a Business Loan Request
- URL: https://blog.financely.io/what-lenders-check-first-when-reviewing-a-business-loan-request/
- Published: 2026-10-27T19:07:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-27T19:07:56.000Z
- Description: Credit analysts decide fast. Here are the five questions a lender answers in the first 10 minutes, and how to put each one on page one of your file.
- Author: Financely Debt Advisors
- Tags: Business Loan

## The First 10 Minutes: What a Lender Checks Before Reading Your Deck

A credit analyst does not read your file from page one. They skim for five answers, and if any one is missing, the deal goes to the bottom of the pile.

Here is what they look for first, and how to put each answer where they will find it.

### In this guide

1. [The five questions a lender answers first](#five-questions)
2. [What gets a file set aside](#what-kills)
3. [How to fix it in one page](#fix)

### The five questions a lender answers first

### 1\. How much, and for what?

The amount, the facility type and a sources and uses table. If the analyst has to work out the use of proceeds, you have already lost time.

### 2\. How do we get repaid?

The primary repayment source, in one sentence. Cash flow, asset sale, refinancing or offtake receipts. Not all of them at once.

### 3\. What if that fails?

The second way out. Collateral, guarantees or sponsor support, with a realistic value rather than a book value.

### 4\. Who is behind it?

The sponsor, their track record on similar deals and how much of their own money is at risk.

**5\. Does it fit our box?** Ticket size, sector, jurisdiction and tenor. A strong deal outside a lender's mandate is still a no. This is why sending the same file to every lender wastes everyone's time, and why matching matters as much as preparation. Our [AI Lender Match](https://www.financely-group.com/ai-powered-lender-match-for-business-financing?ref=blog.financely.io) exists for exactly this step.

### What gets a file set aside

**Projections without history.** Five years of hockey-stick forecasts and no audited accounts tells the lender the hard part has not been done yet.

**A deck instead of a credit case.** Marketing slides answer an investor's questions, not a lender's. Lenders care about the downside, not the upside.

**An equity gap nobody mentions.** If the sources and uses do not balance, the analyst will find it in minutes. Say how the gap is covered before they ask.

### How to fix it in one page

Put a one-page summary at the front of the file that answers all five questions in order. Then make sure every number on that page can be traced to a document in the data room. That single page does more for your response rate than any amount of design.

If you want the full file built to that standard, our [Lender-Ready Package](https://financely-group.com/lender-ready-credit-package-for-business-loans?ref=blog.financely.io) delivers the credit memo, debt sizing, sources and uses, collateral summary and data room for a fixed fee.

### Not sure your file passes the 10-minute test?

Send us the summary you would give a lender. We will tell you what a credit analyst will ask first.

[Request a Quote](https://www.financely-group.com/requestaquote?ref=blog.financely.io) 

### Frequently asked questions

How long does a lender spend on a first review? 

It varies, but initial screening is short. Analysts decide quickly whether a file deserves a full review, which is why the first page matters most.

Should I send a pitch deck to lenders? 

Only alongside a credit summary. Lenders need repayment logic, collateral and downside analysis, which most decks leave out.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Financely is an advisory and arranging firm, not a lender or broker-dealer. Any financing is subject to lender underwriting, due diligence, approval, documentation and conditions precedent. No outcome or timeline is guaranteed.