19.12.15

Indirect Lending Questions Your Loan Origination System Should Answer


Loan origination systems (LOS) often vary in terms of the functional capabilities and benefits they provide. Some are strong in certain areas of lending such as direct or small business; other systems have a more general lending focus. Then, there are those standout systems that are designed and built based on years of knowledge and experience. These systems offer expert lending functionality for many channels.
Indirect lending is showing more momentum than it has in years, and the features and functionality credit unions need are not always included in systems they purchased primarily for other types of lending a few short years ago. As credit unions are taking bigger slices of the indirect lending pie, they are looking to upgrade their systems to increase their financial success.
But what software features do credit unions need to support indirect lending? What functionality will help a credit union succeed in the burgeoning field of indirect lending? The following 10 questions will help credit unions determine whether an LOS solution has the features they need to drive growth in the indirect lending portfolio.

1. Does the LOS have connectivity to third-party indirect portals such as Dealertrack and RouteOne?

A loan origination system that effectively supports indirect lending should provide a credit union with the ability to originate loans through multiple third-party indirect portals. These web-based portals are essential for effectively targeting the best indirect deals by connecting lenders to the largest network of dealerships. A credit union’s loan software should also communicate all needed details regarding the loan back to the third-party indirect portal.

2. Does the LOS have the ability to handle reserve and origination fees?

Look for loan software that allows configuration of the fees paid by the credit union to purchase a vehicle contract from the dealer. This provides flexibility to calculate and pay funds to each dealer by an agreed upon method and value.

3. Does the LOS have the capability to auto decision and apply risk-based pricing for buy and contract rates?

This ability allows a credit union to implements its credit policy with a combination of matrices and rules. It also provides auto decisioning and pricing that can be communicated to the borrower, internal end-users, and dealers.

4. Can the LOS be structured to capture contract information and validate it for compliance to policy?

Post-approval loan processing rules are designed to ensure that contracted or accepted application terms are compliant with a credit union’s your policy and match the analyst-approved terms. They also ensure the acceptance of applications that are outside policy is restricted to individuals that have the appropriate authority.

5. Does the LOS automatically apply stipulations and route to appropriate queues?

Stipulations are able to be created and configured both globally and individually per product.  These are used to record and track various requirements needed to complete an application.

6. Does the LOS have configurable post-approval processing steps?

A credit union’s loan software must provide the ability to determine the list and order of steps that the end-user must go through to close an application. This feature provides added flexibility to diversify an institution’s indirect lending portfolio.

7. Can the LOS handle disbursements, including issuance of checks and automated clearing house (ACH)?

This allows the financial institution to select the method that each dealer will use to receive funds. Using ACH allows for automated and faster distributions and transfers of funds.

8. Can the LOS send rapid notifications to dealers of funding activities?

In the fast-paced environment of indirect lending, dealers need to stay updated at every turn. An LOS platform should allow for daily notification — email or fax — of activities on all loans submitted for each specific dealer or group of dealers.

9. Does the LOS have the ability to manage reserve methods and probationary status as well as contracts and agreements including access to dealer statistics and dealer-specific reports?

Being able to store, track, and report on all necessary agreement information between the dealer and credit union is important for effective indirect lending. This includes the fees paid by the financial institution to purchase a vehicle contract from the dealer, contact methods, and other pertinent dealer information.

10. Is the LOS capable of boarding loans/customer accounts to servicing systems through a new account setup (NAS)?

Credit unions must be able to communicate and update loan and member information to many third-party servicing systems. This communication can be through either real time or batch integration. Once boarded, this information can also be used to create new loans in the future through a CIS lookup.
As a credit union compares LOS platforms, it needs to evaluate the subject matter expertise of the system provider. Look for a well-rounded provider who has know-how in dealer management, underwriting, compliance, and funding — then leverage that expertise to get a leg up on the competition.
The CRIF Lending Solutions’ ACTion loan origination system offers end-to-end automated processing of all types of loans including direct, merchant, online, business, and indirect. The ACTion platform opens doors for increased staff productivity, greater system flexibility and functionality, and most importantly, an expanding loan portfolio. Neighbors Federal Credit Union used ACTion to streamline its operations and now processes more than $18 million in indirect loans each month with only two underwriters. For more information on this was done, click the button below to download the “Neighbors Federal Credit Union Case Study.”

14.12.15

Understanding the Core Banking System Industry


Silverlake Axis - Part 2 (Understanding the Core Banking System Industry)
Fig 1 Silverlake Axis Integrated Banking Solution

The most important question that will come to everyone's mind when we talk about Silverlake Axis will naturally be what is a Core Banking System (CBS), is it just a software like your Adobe or Office? This will be what this whole post will be about.
The "Core" in the CBS refers to Centralized Online Real-Time Exchange, something like your trading platform where information is updated Real-Time. Gartner defines CBS as "those applications responsible for processing and posting transactions in the domains of payments, current and saving accounts, loans and securities (such as performing current and deposit accounting, maintaining loan accounts, holding securities positions, clearing payments)." Basically, as seen from fig 1, it is a centralized system that handles every aspect of the bank's business. When you deposit your money into the bank, CBS will update your main account and distribute the information to your ATM, credit card, credit risk, customer information and e.t.c. I will treat it as the human brain that's in charge of processing of all information received from the five senses and that exert a centralized control over the body.
Changing a core banking system has been treated as a high risk, high cost and high reward project. Cost saving is often not a sufficient reason for bank to change them. The risk and cost comes from the fact that an error can damage the reputation of a bank as seen from the numerous debacles that DBS has got itself into. Changing the system also requires the old system to be put down before the new system is being put up, and this will create downtime for the bank. All the employees in the bank will also need to be re-trained and it will be sometime before they can get used to it. Cost of the project is often high and project overrun is normal due to the numerous constrain involved and that it will often has to be done only in the weekend.
Kevin Lomax, the erstwhile chairman of Misys – one of the largest independent software vendors (ISVs) focusing on the financial services industry – was once quoted as having said: “Changing a core banking system is like replacing the engine of a Boeing aircraft mid-flight.”
“The challenge of replacing a bank’s core IT systems has been equated with everything from open-heart surgery to replacing the engine in a moving car. It is without a doubt one of the most difficult and complex challenges a bank will ever face, with implications that cut across functions, products and geographies.”http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Shared%20Assets/Documents/08-1266%20CoreBanking%20preflight%20final%20web%20version.pdfhttp://www.cimbbank.com.sg/index.php?rp=core+banking+faqs&tpt=cimb_sgThe above is an example of the impact of changing the CBS for CIMB Singapore, which only has 2 branches here.
Given the high risk high cost proposition, it is expected that many banks will not undertake such a project unless it is no longer a choice of theirs. As such, an adoption of a new CBS in a bank is likely to last them for at least the next 15 years and more. Please take note of this point as this is going to be the important for Part 3 later."While other system replacements tend to cycle every 5 to 10 years, a core banking system is expected to deliver capabilities and value for at least 15 to 20 years. Core systems are often viewed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” investment akin to a major factory replacement."h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA2-7566ENW.pdfIf that's the case, why are the banks starting to change their core banking system given the extreme high ROI needed to convince them? The answer is simple - survival of the fittest. There is no doubt as to the stickiness of CBS in a bank given that many banks are still using the old legacy system that date back to the 1970s and 1980s. Thus, these old systems are increasingly unable to meet the demand in today's world.



The ineffectiveness of the old legacy system is expected to cost banks in mature markets approximately US$200 billion annually according to the IBM Institute for Business Value Analysis. Up to 79% of a bank's IT spending are sometimes being used to maintain the old legacy system. This is just part of the reasons.
Increased regulation in the form of Basel III and other standards require a higher standard of information reporting as well as integration of the system. The wave of consolidation and M&A has also resulted in banks having multiple core banking systems that just add to the cost and the complexity of the demand today. So have most of the engineers that have been maintaining the old legacy system retired and it is harder to find people to fix the old system. Competitors that have done so have also proven to be leaner, faster and more efficient, and have managed to cut down on their IT spending. Thus, the time has come such that many of the old systems are to be overhauled since 2005.
Despite the current economic turmoil, Ovum's "Retail Banking Technology Spending Model through 2016" has predicted that global spending on retail banking technology will increase by $3.6bn (3.2%) in 2012 and will hit $135bn over the next five years. Banks in emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region will grow the fastest at a rate of 8.3% in 2012. Therefore, room for growth in the banking technology market is still plentiful especially in Asia.
Part 3 will be on Silverlake's core revenue generation - Software implementation and Maintenance and Enhancement Service as well as its competitive advantage.

Silverlake Axis - Part 3 (SIBS, The Source of All Profit)

http://sgyounginvestor.blogspot.com/2012/03/silverlake-axis-part-3-sibs-source-of.html

6.12.15

The Commercial Credit Approval Process Explained


The purpose of this article is to shed some light on how a bank evaluates a loan request from a potential borrower. But, before we get there, let’s have a quick review of how a bank works and who the key players are in the credit approval process.
In it’s simplest form, a bank makes money by taking funds in the form of low cost deposits (checking/savings/money market accounts) and then loaning out that same money at a higher interest rate. A bank’s profit is a result of the “spread” or the difference between the rate it pays for the deposits and the return that it makes on loans.
In order to protect the deposits entrusted to the bank, all loans go through a credit approval process.  During this process a bank determines whether or not a proposed loan has a high enough chance of being repaid. If a commercial loan request doesn’t make the cut then it is denied or restructured to reduce the risk to the bank.

Key Players in the Credit Approval Process

When a potential borrower makes a request for a loan (in this case, we are going to assume that this is a commercial loan), there are many individuals involved in the decision to approve or deny the loan. Let’s take a look at the key players.

Sales Manager

The sales manager is the individual who manages a team of commercial relationship managers. This is usually a senior person within the bank and one of the first people to see the loan request. Typically their involvement consists of a quick yes/no decision as to whether the loan request is one that the bank should pursue.

Relationship Manager

This is the “sales” person. Their primary responsibility is to bring new “relationships” to the bank, which includes both deposit and loan accounts. These are the people who are out actively calling on accounts, taking prospects to lunch, playing golf, and generally doing anything necessary to get the customer to move their banking relationship to whatever bank they represent. Most of the time, the loan request is brought into the bank through the relationship manager.

Credit Officer

The credit officer is the individual with the authority to approve or deny the loan request. Each credit officer has a certain amount of “approval authority” indicating the maximum dollar amount that they are able to approve. Depending on the size of the loan request, the local credit officer may be able to approve it. If not, it may need to go to a more senior credit officer, or for the largest requests, to the bank’s credit committee.

Credit Analyst

This is the number cruncher. This individual analyzes all of the information gathered by the relationship manager and puts it in a loan approval document. This document outlines all of the risks and benefits of approving the loan and outlines the feasibility of repayment. When a loan is approved, this document is signed by both the relationship manager and the credit officer.
All of these individuals work together towards an approval decision on the loan. Now that we have an idea of the people involved in approving a loan, let’s take a look at the process.

How Loans are Made

The process begins when a relationship manager identifies a loan prospect and begins preliminary discussions with the customer about the loan. These discussions typically include the amount, term, and rate of the loan, generally speaking.
Next, the relationship manager presents the request to their sales manager (at small banks, there might not be a sales manager). They have a discussion about whether or not this is a customer that they would like to have. The relationship manager will leave this discussion with a directive as to proceed with the request or not.
If they get the go-ahead from the sales manager, they will go back to the customer and request several documents to use in evaluating the request. At a minimum, this usually includes: 2 years of tax returns for both the business and the individual, a personal financial statement, a current financial statement for the business (may be CPA prepared), accounts receivable listing (for commercial businesses), rent roll and proforma (for real estate), and any other documents that will support the loan request.
The relationship manager will take all of the above documentation and give it to the credit analyst. They will have a brief discussion regarding the proposed structure of the loan and the timing of the request.
The credit analyst will then begin their analysis, which takes the form of a loan approval document. Let’s take a look at the key components of a loan approval document, sometimes called a “Credit Memo” internally.

Summary of the Loan Request

The summary section of the credit memo provides a high level overview of the request, and will include the loan amount, loan term, proposed interest rate, individual/corporate guarantors, use of funds, etc.

Information About the Company

This section includes information on who the principals are, how much operating experience they have, how long the company has been in business, what the company does, etc.

Industry Research

The industry section includes information on what the prevailing trends in the industry are, how the subject company compares to other companies in their industry, what is the industry outlook is, etc.

Repayment Analysis

This is the most important section. In this section, the credit analyst will take all of the financial data that they have received and make an attempt to estimate the company’s ability to repay the loan. This includes analyzing past data, looking at growth trends, industry trends, proposed loan terms, and certain assumptions that will get them to a number called the DSCR or Debt Service Coverage Ratio. The DSCR is the company’s free cash flow divided by the estimated debt service on the proposed loan. For a real estate loan, the process is the same, but the analyst will look at the cash flow generated by the property in question.

Company/Borrower Financial Analysis

This section will explore the financial statements of the proposed borrower. It will look at historical trends, critical ratios, and interim data to determine the financial health of the borrower.

Individual/Guarantor Financial Analysis

Many bank loans require the individual guarantee of the company principal(s). As such, an analysis is performed on each of the individuals who will be guaranteeing the loan, analyzing their ability to cover any shortfalls in the debt service should things not go as planned. The key here is guarantor liquidity or how much cash they have in the bank, and excess personal cash flow.

Relationship Analysis

This analyzes the customer’s relationship with the bank. Are they a current customer? Do they have deposits? What other loans are outstanding?
Once the credit analyst has completed the loan approval document, they will give it to the relationship manager for proofreading. Typically there will be 2 or 3 rounds of edits including the proposed loan covenants and language in the document.

Final Credit/Loan Approval

Once the analyst and the relationship manager are satisfied with the contents of the loan approval document, they will present it to the credit officer for approval. Once again, there will likely be a few more rounds of edits to shape the deal into something that the credit officer is comfortable with. When the credit officer is comfortable with the terms, he will sign it along with the relationship manager.
Once the credit officer has approved the request, the relationship manager will send a term sheet to the borrower, outlining the bank approved structure of the proposed loan. The Borrower may attempt to negotiate certain points of the deal, but usually doesn’t have a lot of room to work with. If the Borrower accepts the terms of the loan, they will sign the term sheet and the bank will issue a commitment letter.
Once the term sheet has been signed and the bank has issued a commitment, the loan will be routed to either the bank’s internal loan operations area or to an attorney for the preparation of the loan documents.
After the loan documents are prepared and the borrower (or the borrower’s attorney) has reviewed them, the bank and the borrower will meet to sign them and the loan process is complete.

5.12.15

Moody's KMV Launches Tool That Enables Compliance with Diverse Financial Reporting Standards

The growth of the global business community and capital markets has led to a greater need for financial managers to uniformly process diverse global financial results. Moody's KMV today announced the International Financial Template (IFT), a global general business template, is now available for use with its RiskAnalyst(TM) product, as well as with Moody's KMV Financial Analyst(R) and Moody's KMV Risk Advisor(TM).

IFT is a general business template that enables institutions to analyze the financial results of private and public companies worldwide, regardless of the accounting standards used to prepare the financial statements. IFT is also compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Specifically, the International Financial Template allows users to:

--Gather and spread financial data in compliance with local accounting standards from around the world, including IFRS;

--Analyze an obligor's financial performance with detailed historical, projection and peer comparison reports;

--Integrate Moody's KMV EDF(TM) (Expected Default Frequency) credit measures into their analysis; and

--Calculate exposure at default (EAD), loss given default (LGD) and expected loss (EL) to support and augment internal rating systems.

"The International Financial Template is a single spreading platform that can be used throughout the world," said Andrew Huddart, President of Moody's KMV. "Our products and services are designed with the mindset that the lending markets are becoming more and more global in nature and we continue to design products that will help our clients around the world evaluate their credit portfolio efficiently and effectively."

Moody's KMV has designed and released over 20 different financial spreading templates: In addition to IFT, Moody's KMV also offers two other general business templates, MMAS and ESM, as well as industry specific templates for analysis of auto dealerships, construction contractors, hospitals, real estate developers, international banks, energy producers and utility companies. IFT incorporates the best features from those templates and is based on the feedback from over 1,500 clients.

About Moody's KMV

Moody's KMV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Moody's Corporation, is the world's leading provider of quantitative credit risk solutions to lenders, investors and corporations. Moody's KMV's tools and services provide current default probabilities, recovery estimates, valuations and correlations, and are widely used to assess portfolio risk and return. Moody's KMV serves over 2,000 clients in 80 countries, including most of the world's 100 largest financial institutions. The company maintains the largest database of corporate defaults in the world. In addition to its San Francisco headquarters, Moody's KMV has offices around the globe to serve its international customer base. Further information is available at www.moodyskmv.com.