We provide lender-ready capital raise packaging and debt or equity placement support for business owners and buyers looking to secure serious term sheets and close funding on a defined timeline.
For business owners and acquirers pursuing private debt submit your deal for review. We revert within one working day with next steps and either a quote for our services.
Finance your next trade, project or acquisition.
Debt structuring, targeted lender outreach and negotiation support through closing.
Paid advisory. Upfront retainer applies.
AI Lender Match helps business owners, investors, and sponsors identify lenders that fit their deal profile without wasting weeks on cold outreach. Get a smarter starting point for acquisitions, commercial real estate, trade finance, and structured debt transactions.
Most borrowers who hire a loan broker expect the broker to do the hard part. In practice, many brokers take your application, forward it to the lenders they know and wait. If a lender says no, the file goes to the next name on the list, unchanged. The weaknesses that caused the first decline travel with it.
Financely works differently. We underwrite your transaction the way a lender's credit team would, build the deal file they need to approve it, and then distribute it to direct lenders matched to your sector, size and structure. This guide sets out where the two models differ, where a broker is the better fit, and what to ask any intermediary before you sign.
Lenders approve files, not introductions
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A loan broker is primarily an introducer. The broker's value is a list of lender relationships and the time saved approaching them. Brokers are commonly paid a commission when a loan funds, so their incentive is to place the loan quickly with whichever lender will say yes. Good brokers add real value in standard, high-volume lending, and many are honest professionals.
Financely is a retained debt advisory and arranging firm. We are not a lender and not a broker-dealer. We are engaged to analyse, structure and package the transaction, then distribute it to direct financiers. You close directly with the lender. The work product, the deal file, belongs to you and keeps working for you whichever lender you sign with.
| Typical loan broker | Financely | |
|---|---|---|
| Core role | Introduces your application to lenders | Underwrites, structures and packages the deal, then distributes it |
| What lenders receive | Your application form and the documents you supplied | A lender-grade credit package with memo, model review, debt sizing and data room |
| Credit analysis | Light or none | Full analysis before any lender sees the deal |
| Weak points in the file | Discovered by the lender | Found and addressed before distribution |
| Lender reach | Personal panel, often a few dozen relationships | 12,700+ verified lenders, matched by sector, ticket size, geography and structure |
| Deal types | Mostly standard business, property and asset loans | Trade and commodity finance, project finance, CRE, acquisition finance, private credit, ABL, credit enhancement |
| How it is paid | Usually a commission on funded amount, sometimes plus upfront fees | USD 500 deal assessment credited to a fixed, one-off retainer, quoted in writing |
| After a decline | Same file sent to the next lender | Decline reasons fed back into structure and positioning |
| Term sheets | Often the first acceptable offer | Offers compared side by side on cost, covenants, security and conditions |
| Who you close with | The lender, sometimes through the broker | The lender, directly |
The fastest way to see the difference is to look at what lands in a credit officer's inbox under each model.
The lender's analyst has to build the credit case from scratch, or move on to a deal that is easier to review.
The analyst can review the deal in one pass and take a view, which is what gets a file to credit committee.
That deal file is also available on its own as our fixed-price Lender-Ready Package, for borrowers who want to approach lenders themselves.
Full approval is the exception, not the rule. In the Federal Reserve's 2025 Report on Employer Firms, based on the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey, only 41% of firms that applied for financing received everything they asked for. 36% received part of it and 24% received nothing.
Outcome of financing applications, US employer firms
41% received all financing sought
36% received some of it
24% received none
Declined firms citing "too much debt" as the reason
Debt capacity is a structuring question. Sizing the facility to cash flow, adding security or bringing in credit enhancement can turn a decline into an approval. Forwarding the same request to another lender does not.
Source: Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey, 2025 Report on Employer Firms(2024 survey). Shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Partial approvals are a structure problem too. When a lender offers less than you asked for, it is usually telling you the request does not match its view of cash flow, collateral or risk. A file built around a realistic debt size, with the downside cases already answered, gives the lender fewer reasons to cut the amount.
The deal file is the core of every engagement. Around it sits a set of capabilities a typical broker does not offer.
Banks, private credit funds, trade finance houses, specialty and asset-based lenders, mapped by appetite, ticket size and geography. Our AI Lender Match narrows the field to the lenders most likely to engage.
Transactional, borrowing base and pre-export structures, with the trade flow, controls and cash flow model lenders expect. See our commodity finance deliverables.
Bankability assessment, model review, risk matrix, information memorandum and financial close support for energy, infrastructure and industrial projects. See our project finance deliverables.
Commercial real estate and bridge lending, SMB acquisitions, and acquisition funding for foreign nationals buying businesses in the United States.
SBLCs, bank guarantees, documentary credits, bid bonds and surety structured alongside the loan, so a borderline credit can still reach approval.
For larger raises, we package the offering, build a dedicated landing page and run outreach that reaches close to the full addressable lender market, not one person's contact list.
Offers laid side by side on all-in cost, covenants, security, conditions precedent and flexibility, then support through documentation to close.
Your documents, estimate and progress in one secure portal. Every engagement is quoted upfront as a fixed, one-off retainer, never open-ended hourly billing.
A broker may suit you if
Your loan is small and standard, such as equipment finance or a vanilla term loan, where lenders decide mostly on a credit score and two years of accounts.
You already have clean financials, a simple structure and only need an introduction.
You are looking for a personal loan. Financely works only on business and project debt, so a consumer lender or broker is the right call.
Financely is built for you if
Your transaction needs structure, such as trade flows, project cash flows, acquisition debt, multiple security layers or credit enhancement.
You have been declined or partially approved and need to know why before trying again.
The amount is large enough that the difference between the first offer and the best offer outweighs the cost of doing it properly.
Request a quote and start with a USD 500 deal assessment. You get a written diagnosis of how lenders will see your transaction, the structure we recommend and a fixed price for the engagement, with the assessment fee credited if you proceed.
If you have already been declined or offered less than you need, send us the lender's feedback with your request. It is usually the fastest way to see what the file was missing.
No. Financely is a debt advisory and arranging firm. We are retained to underwrite, structure and package your transaction and distribute it to direct lenders. We do not lend, and we are not a broker-dealer. You close directly with the lender.
Because the work happens before any lender commits. Credit analysis, model review, debt sizing and a full deal file take senior time whether or not a lender says yes. A fixed retainer pays for that work transparently, and the deal file stays yours.
A review of your transaction's bankability and structure, followed by a written estimate with our diagnosis, the proposed solution and a fixed retainer. The USD 500 is credited against the retainer if you go ahead.
Yes. Our Lender-Ready Package delivers the credit memo, model review and debt sizing, sources and uses, collateral summary, KYC file and data room at a fixed price, for borrowers who want to approach lenders themselves.
Business and project debt across trade and commodity finance, project finance, commercial real estate, acquisition finance, private credit, asset-based lending and credit enhancement. We do not arrange personal loans.
No one can. Lenders make their own credit decisions. What we control is the quality of the file, the fit of the lenders who see it and how well every question is answered.
This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Financely is an advisory and arranging firm. It is not a lender or broker-dealer. Descriptions of loan brokers refer to common practices and do not describe any specific firm. Any financing is subject to lender underwriting, due diligence, approval, documentation and conditions precedent. No outcome, pricing or timeline is guaranteed.
Submit your deal using our secure intake form, and receive a quote within 1-3 business days. Existing clients can connect with their relationship manager through our secure web portal.
All submissions are
promptly reviewed, and all communications are conducted through the intake form or the client portal for a seamless and secure process.
Thank you for considering working with us. A nominal fee of US$500 is required upon completion of each form. This fee covers the time and effort we invest in reviewing your submission and crafting a thorough proposal. We receive numerous inquiries and prioritize those that carry this fee, ensuring serious applicants receive prompt attention.
Tap into solutions like letters of credit, bank guarantees, and payment facilitation. We address the challenge of global transaction risk through structured strategies that foster cross-border growth. Complete the form to unlock streamlined funding aligned with your commercial objectives.
Submit a RequestAccess non-recourse funding for infrastructure, renewable energy, or other capital-intensive ventures. We mitigate capital constraints by isolating project assets and focusing on risk management. Provide your details to receive a structure that drives growth and maximizes returns.
Submit a RequestSecure financing for business or real estate acquisitions. We ease transaction hurdles by reviewing cash flow, synergy opportunities, and exit plans. Complete the form for a customized proposal that supports your strategic investment objectives.
Submit a RequestFinancely assists banks facing Basel III pressures by distributing trade finance deals and providing collateral for letters of credit. We reduce capital burdens while preserving client relationships and fostering service expansion. Submit your request to optimize your trade finance offerings.
Submit a RequestOnce we receive your submission, our team will review your information to determine feasibility. If eligible, you will receive a proposal or term sheet within 1–3 business days. Visit our FAQ and Procedure pages for more information.
Disclaimer: Financely provides financing based on due diligence and feasibility. Approval is not guaranteed, and past performance does not predict future outcomes. All terms are subject to review. Financely primarily assists with structuring and distribution. Qualified parties carry out the project if the client approves the proposal.