Always.bank, the digital bank owned by Alabama’s 22nd State Banking Company, has expanded its small business lending and opened a physical hub in Birmingham. The bank pairs online accounts and loans with in-person advisors, and now serves businesses across the U.S. while keeping its base in Alabama.
From savings accounts to a full lending menu
Always.bank opened in May 2026 with high-yield savings accounts and CDs, run on technology from Linker Finance. It said then that business lending would follow in the summer. That part is now live.
The site lists SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, USDA business loans, invoice factoring, and asset-based lending. Always.bank calls itself an SBA Preferred Lender, a status that lets approved banks clear some SBA loans in-house rather than send each file to the agency.
Its factoring product targets cash-flow gaps. The bank advertises lines from $100,000 to $5 million and advances up to 95% of invoice value, aimed at sectors such as trucking, staffing, and manufacturing, where customers often pay on 30 to 90-day terms.
Why Birmingham, and what BasePoint does
The company opened BasePoint at 2308 1st Ave. S. last week. It serves as the headquarters and a shared workspace for entrepreneurs rather than a retail branch. The site includes offices, Zoom rooms, board rooms, an education center, and a podcast studio.
Founder Steve Smith said the bank targets “main street” owners he views as overlooked, and that few lenders focus on the heart of small business. Access to BasePoint comes with an Always.bank membership, which offers tiered plans that scale as a company grows.
Greg Spadea, executive vice president and chief digital officer, said the Birmingham location will serve as a blueprint for how the bank adds physical sites in other markets.
A century-old charter behind a new brand
Always.bank runs as a division of 22nd State Banking Company, an Alabama institution with roots to 1917. The chartered bank sits behind the digital brand, a different structure from fintechs that partner with an outside bank to hold deposits. The technology layer, including account opening and payments, comes from Linker Finance.
