Common Wealth
How Underwriting Works

Know what underwriters look for before you submit.

A transparent guide to community lending. See how our 5-stage preparation model pre-underwrites your business, what every financial term means, and how your data is protected.

Find lenders near you See how Beacon verifies your data
Stage 1

Verify & Calibrate Your Profile

10 to 15 minutes

We ingest official Secretary of State facts. You confirm details and attach optional community impact badges (minority, woman, veteran-owned) to unlock specialized mission allocations.

What you provide

  • Legal entity confirmation
  • Funding request and use of funds
  • Community impact and eligibility answers

What the lender sees

  • Verified legal name and standing
  • Attested owner of record
  • Requested amount and purpose
Stage 2

Prepare your documents

30 to 60 minutes

Your document vault adapts to the lenders you are considering. Upload once and reuse across every application, with version history preserved.

What you provide

  • Tax returns and financial statements
  • Bank statements and debt schedule
  • Formation documents and owner ID

What the lender sees

  • Completeness score
  • Document freshness and version
  • Nothing until you choose to submit
Stage 3

Understand Your Readiness

5 minutes to review

We calculate your Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) and evaluate the 5 C's of credit. Your profile remains private until you choose to submit.

What you provide

  • Nothing new. This is generated from Stage 1 and Stage 2.

What the lender sees

  • Not shared until submission
Stage 4

Review your financing profile

10 minutes

A plain-language credit memo assembles your story, your numbers and the provenance of every fact so a lender can act quickly.

What you provide

  • Narrative edits and clarifications

What the lender sees

  • Full memo with data lineage on submission
Stage 5

Deliver Your Sealed Package

5 minutes

Send your sealed package to up to 4 matched community institutions at once. Reviewers evaluate your pre-underwritten file directly, eliminating repetitive cold forms.

What you provide

  • Lender selection and consent

What the lender sees

  • Your complete package and any document updates you publish