Does using a holding company to borrow the purchase money protect my personal assets?

Partially, and only if the lender does not also require a personal guarantee, which is common for a newly formed acquisition vehicle. Borrowing through a holding corporation keeps the loan as, in principle, a corporate obligation rather than a personal one, since a corporation is a legally distinct entity from the individuals who own it, and this separation is a real and legitimate part of why buyers often use a holdco structure for an acquisition in the first place.

That protection can evaporate in practice if the lender, unwilling to rely solely on a brand-new corporation with no track record, requires the individual behind the holdco to personally guarantee the loan anyway, which is a routine condition on small business acquisition financing. A holdco structure can still offer real tax and governance benefits independent of personal-liability planning, but it should not be assumed to fully insulate personal assets without checking exactly what security and guarantees the lender actually required as part of approving the loan.