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Oct 16, 2026

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6 min read

What the Tighter SBA Acquisition Rules Change for Deals Like These

A new rule set for the SBA’s flagship loan program took effect October 1. What sources agree on, where they conflict, and why the words “SBA pre-qualified” and “seller financing available” now need a second look.

Oct 15, 2026

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6 min read

The Same Borrower, Again: What 24 Repeat Notes Show About How a Score Moves

Nine borrowers, 24 scored notes, and a pattern that runs against the instinct that a familiar name is a safer one. What moves, what stays put, and what a returning borrower’s next note really tells a reader.

Oct 9, 2026

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6 min read

What the Private Credit Redemption Squeeze Changes for Deals Like These

Withdrawal requests at flagship private credit funds have run above their caps for several quarters. What it means for a reader holding individual notes with no redemption window, and which second-order effects are confirmed and which are not.

Oct 8, 2026

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6 min read

Where the Points Separate One Tier From the Next: What 113 Pillar Breakdowns Show

Nine issues of published scores, and one pillar that does most of the sorting. Where deals clear, where they stall, and what the near-misses have in common.

Oct 2, 2026

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6 min read

What the Shift From Bank to Private Credit CRE Lending Changes for Deals Like These

A record $56 billion in dry powder, private lending up 133% year over year, and banks increasingly funding private credit through warehouse lines instead of lending directly. What the new capital-stack layering means for reading a real estate deal's disclosed seniority.

Oct 1, 2026

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6 min read

Why Real Estate Clears This Publication's Line Less Often Than Any Asset Class But One

Real estate clears at 11.5 percent, the second-lowest rate of any asset class this

Sep 25, 2026

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5 min read

Fed Rate Hike September 2026: What It Means for Private Market Deals

A quarter-point hike, the first since 2023, and a higher year-end rate path than the Fed itself projected in July. What it means for SBA-financed acquisitions, private credit coupons, and EDGAR real estate raises.

Sep 24, 2026

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5 min read

Same-Sponsor Multi-Vehicle Form D Filings: What the Pattern Means

Four issues running, this publication has tracked sponsors filing multiple near-identical Form Ds the same day. Two distinct shapes explain why, and only one of them matters for scoring.

Sep 18, 2026

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5 min read

What the Coming Ownership Transfer Changes for Deals Like These

Up to six million small businesses may change hands by 2035, and most sellers have no documented plan. What that means for how "retirement" should be read on a listing.

Sep 17, 2026

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6 min read

Why an EBITDA Number, on Its Own, Changes How a Listing Reads

Across eighteen SMB listings scored in the last two issues, four showed both SDE and EBITDA, twelve showed SDE alone, and two, both this week, showed EBITDA with no SDE at all. What that new pattern reveals.

Sep 11, 2026

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5 min read

What the INVEST Act Would Change for Deals Like These

A bipartisan bill that passed the House 302 to 123 would rewrite who qualifies as an accredited investor. It's stalled in the Senate, and the details matter more than the headline.

Sep 10, 2026

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5 min read

Why a Confidential SMB Listing Can Still Clear the Docket Line

Three anonymous, no-principal-named listings scored 74, 73, and 66. The pattern in why has nothing to do with confidentiality itself.

Sep 4, 2026

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5 min read

What the SBA's October Financing Overhaul Changes for Deals Like These

Five changes, one direction: tighter underwriting for SMB acquisitions starting October 1.

Sep 3, 2026

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5 min read

Why EDGAR-Sourced Deals Almost Never Clear the Docket Line

Seven filings out of seventy-six made it On the Docket. All seven have one thing in common.

Aug 28, 2026

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2 min read

What the 401(k) Alternative-Assets Rule Would Actually Change for Deals Like These

Separating what's confirmed from what's still just a proposal

Aug 27, 2026

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2 min read

What Actually Separates a Cleared Percent Credit Note From a Rejected One

Nine data points, five months, one variable that predicts the score better than coupon does