# Huntington Bank vs Wells Fargo

Which big bank belongs on an SBA acquisition shortlist?

## Choose Huntington Bank

Choose Huntington inside its 21-state branch footprint: the nation's top 7(a) lender by volume seven years running, by its own October 2024 release, branch relationships that know the program, and comfort with smaller loans.

## Choose Wells Fargo

Choose Wells Fargo only if you already bank there commercially; the relationship history is the product, and a cold application is better spent on a specialist acquisition lender.

## Side by side

| | Huntington Bank | Wells Fargo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What It Is | The most prolific SBA 7(a) lender in the country by number of loans (its own October 2024 release marks a seventh straight year at #1 by count), a large regional bank whose branch-based SBA practice writes thousands of small-business loans a year, including business acquisitions. | The SBA 7(a) and 504 program of one of the largest US banks, running a top-15 7(a) book by dollars with nationwide branch coverage; a conventional big-bank SBA desk rather than an acquisition specialist. Its own product table names business acquisitions and buy-outs as uses, puts 7(a) at up to $5 million, gives terms of up to 25 years on commercial real estate and 10 years otherwise, and states an eligibility gate of net worth below $20 million and net income below $6.5 million. |
| Category | SBA & Acquisition Lenders | SBA & Acquisition Lenders |
| Pricing Model | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| What It Costs | Loan products; no fee to engage. SBA 7(a) up to the $5M program cap. The bank's own release reports 7,577 loans totaling about $1.53B in its fiscal 2024, an average near $200k, so volume skews to smaller loans than acquisition-specialist banks. Rates are quoted per deal and not published. | Loan products; no fee to engage. Rates are quoted per deal and not published. FOIA-based FY2025 roundups report roughly $479M across about 1,335 7(a) loans, averaging near $359K; treat third-party figures as directional. |
| Best For | Buyers in or near its branch footprint (it reports leading 7(a) counts in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia) and smaller acquisitions that specialist banks may not prioritize | Buyers who already bank with Wells Fargo commercially and want their existing relationship, deposits, and history working for them on a conservative underwrite |
| Where It Fits | Set Up & Fund the Search, Diligence & Close the Deal | Set Up & Fund the Search, Diligence & Close the Deal |
| Our Verdict | Worth a term sheet if you're in its footprint or your deal is on the smaller side; pair it with an acquisition specialist so volume competes with pattern recognition. | Add it to the list only if you already bank there; otherwise the specialist acquisition lenders will move faster and understand the structure better. |

Full review of Huntington Bank: https://searchspheresource.com/resources/huntington-bank
Full review of Wells Fargo: https://searchspheresource.com/resources/wells-fargo-sba

Source: https://searchspheresource.com/resources/compare/huntington-bank-vs-wells-fargo-sba
Last checked: 2026-09-20

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