How to prepare for the lender meeting (the questions they'll ask)
The plan gets you the meeting. How you handle the meeting gets you the loan. Here's what they'll probe — and how to be ready.
A lender meeting isn't a formality; it's where the banker pressure-tests whether you actually understand your own business. Walk in expecting these:
- "Walk me through your numbers." Know your revenue math and DSCR cold.
- "What happens if sales come in 20% under?" Have a real answer.
- "Why you?" Your experience, in a confident sentence.
- "Where's your money in this?" Your contribution, without flinching.
- "What's your fallback?" Collateral and how you'd handle a rough patch.
The meta-signal
They're not just grading the answers — they're reading whether you're calm, honest, and on top of the detail. Prepared beats polished. Know your file well enough that no question surprises you.
See where your plan stands
Paste the plan you have into the free Scanner. It scores you against the eight criteria Canadian lenders use — in about thirty seconds, no account, nothing leaves your device.
Score my plan — freeLenderReady is an educational service, not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. Lending criteria vary by institution and change over time; treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee.