About Inner Circle Lending
A family-run fund built on judgment, not algorithms.
What We Do
We lend to premium borrowers—business owners who need capital fast and are willing to pay a premium for speed, discretion, and certainty. They're not subprime. They're successful entrepreneurs who value their time and privacy more than shopping for the cheapest rate.
Our 6-12 month loan cycles let us reallocate capital in real time, pivot when needed, and stay nimble. We're never locked into decade-long real estate speculation. We operate a no-debt fund—your capital is never leveraged. This structure delivers fixed 11-15% annual returns that don't fluctuate with markets. Market up, market down—you get your contractual rate.
People, Not Property
We choose borrowers based on character and capacity to repay—not just collateral. Personal guarantees and wage garnishment provisions give us real leverage.
No Leverage
We never use debt to fund loans. Your capital isn't leveraged, borrowed against, or used as collateral. This is rare in our industry—most funds leverage 3-10x.
Fixed Returns
11-15% annually—fixed and contractual. Not tied to market performance. Perfect for retirement accounts seeking predictable income.
Why This Works
6-12 Month Agility
Short loan cycles mean we can pivot fast. If markets shift, we're not stuck waiting 10 years to exit a bad position.
Premium Borrowers Pay Premium Rates
Our borrowers aren't rate-shopping. They need capital now and value certainty over finding the absolute cheapest deal. That's where our returns come from.
Personal Guarantees
Every loan includes personal guarantees. If someone defaults, we can garnish wages. That changes behavior—people pay their personal guarantees.
Contractual Returns
11-15% annually—written into your contract. Not "projected" or "estimated." Your rate doesn't change because the market had a bad month.
Family-Run, Not VC-Backed
No outside investors demanding 10x returns. No pressure to take excessive risks. We succeed by being consistent, not by swinging for fences.
Wayne Griswold
Founder & Chief Investment Officer
40 years of starting and running businesses. That's not fund management experience—it's something rarer: judgment. Wayne has personally funded 40-50 loans totaling $1-2 million before launching this fund. He knows which borrowers pay and which make excuses.
Michael Griswold
Head of Strategic Lending
Michael identifies and vets premium borrowers who value speed and discretion over rate-shopping. His focus: finding business owners with proven income who need capital now and will pay a premium for certainty.
How We're Different
Most private lending funds chase hard assets—real estate, equipment, inventory. We do something different: we underwrite people.
Character-Based Underwriting
We choose borrowers based on judgment—not just spreadsheets. Can they pay? Will they pay?
Accountability Built In
Personal guarantees + wage garnishment = real consequences for default. Borrowers know this.
The Numbers
Loans personally funded by Wayne (pre-fund)
Business experience (Wayne)
Typical loan term (maximum agility)
The ICL Structure
Your Commitment: 1-2 Years
You invest for a fixed term. This gives us operational stability and lets us plan capital deployment. In return, you get a fixed, predictable return written into your contract.
Our Deployment: 6-12 Months
We lend in short cycles. This keeps us nimble—if something changes, we're not stuck waiting a decade to exit. Your long commitment enables our short-term agility.
Ready to Earn 11-15% Fixed?
Talk to us. No pressure, no sales pitch—just a conversation about whether this fits your portfolio.
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