Curriculum | Commercial Lending School - Foundational

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

School Registration

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Banking, the Economy & Credit Outlook
This session examines the current economic and banking environment and its impact on the financial services industry. In addition, examine how successful community banks compete and thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Reception at Beeman Hotel

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

The Importance of Cash Flow
This session will equip you with a full understanding of the loan approval process and the information needed to make objective loan decisions. Learn how to evaluate a company’s ability to generate cash flow to repay a loan, and understand the management quality of a company. Discover four critical steps to ensure diligent review, and the issues that must be resolved at the onset of a loan request.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Break

9:45 AM – 12:15 PM

The Importance of Cash Flow (Cont’d)
This session will equip you with a full understanding of the loan approval process and the information needed to make objective loan decisions. Learn how to evaluate a company’s ability to generate cash flow to repay a loan, and understand the management quality of a company. Discover four critical steps to ensure diligent review, and the issues that must be resolved at the onset of a loan request.

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

The Importance of Cash Flow (Cont’d)
This session will equip you with a full understanding of the loan approval process and the information needed to make objective loan decisions. Learn how to evaluate a company’s ability to generate cash flow to repay a loan, and understand the management quality of a company. Discover four critical steps to ensure diligent review, and the issues that must be resolved at the onset of a loan request.

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Break

2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Bank Loan Simulation Orientation
Engage in this team-building exercise and test your mastery of the day’s coursework with daily simulations modeled after real-life bid sessions. This signature learning tool provides hands-on experience in a fun, risk-free environment.

• Hone your credit evaluation skills
• Test your credit selection and relationship pricing skills
• Set goals and develop a solid loan portfolio
• Move from credit analyst to senior commercial loan manager
• Gather deposits, generate new loans and enjoy a friendly competition

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Simulation Breakout 1

4:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Simulation Bid Session 1

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Evaluating the Commercial Borrower’s Business Strategy
Discover the key business strategies a borrower should harness for success, and dissect areas in which businesses can go wrong. Gain an understanding the business cycle, and determine whether your borrower has devoted sufficient time to understanding critical challenges that can affect their business strategy.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Break

9:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Underwriting the Loan Request
Get best practices for underwriting informed loan requests through engaging case studies. Learn to better analyze cash flow, confirm or set a proper amount, determine the term, pricing, collateral, guarantees, covenants and conditions needed to repay a loan based on identified risks.

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

Lunch

12:10 PM – 1:15 PM

Women in Lending Luncheon

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Fundamentals of C&I Lending
Secured working capital financing is an attractive and sound credit product for banks to fuel commercial loan growth. These loans, commonly classified as commercial and industrial (C&I), require a different management style. In this session, learn the fundamentals of C&I lending to properly communicate structural options and risks to borrowers and bank credit committees.

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Break

2:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Fundamentals of Commercial Construction Lending
This session covers the basic elements of construction lending and the factors that affect credit decisions. Learn to determine whether a construction project is economically viable, if a general contractor will complete a project on time and more.

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Break

4:00 PM – 5:15 PM

Simulation Breakout 2

5:15 PM – 5:45 PM

Simulation Bid Session 2

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

An Introduction to Credit Risk Management: Credit Policy and  Credit Culture
In this session, learn tested best practices for topics such as approval of specific credits, loan committee structures, risk-rating systems, Board of Director input and involvement, MIS systems and more. Learn how they all interact with a bank’s strategic plan, loan reviews and bank examinations.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Break

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM

An Introduction to Credit Risk Management: Credit Policy and Credit Culture
In this session, learn tested best practices for topics such as approval of specific credits, loan committee structures, risk-rating systems, Board of Director input and involvement, MIS systems and more. Learn how they all interact with a bank’s strategic plan, loan reviews and bank examinations.

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate Lending
Commercial real estate (CRE) loans continue to comprise a major percentage of bank loan portfolios. Many borrowers continue to hold significant amounts of income-producing or rental real estate on their balance sheets. Whether directly financing these assets or including the income stream(s) is in your overall credit analysis, it’s important to understand key analytical concepts in evaluating real estate cash flow. Learn how during this in-depth session.

12:30 PM – 1:30PM

Lunch

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Presentation Skills for Lenders
Lenders make formal and informal presentations to clients and peers. The challenge is cutting through all the noise to be heard and understood. Failing to do this could hurt client satisfaction and how you are viewed internally. This session will cover the basics of thinking clearly to create a strong message — and articulating your message in a way that gets the intended results.

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Break

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM

Simulation Breakout 3

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM

Simulation Bid Session 3

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Developing the Credit Memo
The session covers the critical elements of constructing a credit memorandum typically associated with commercial lending, including details that should be included in a formal loan presentation. You’ll even be provided with a framework to construct and make improvements to your own credit memo.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Break

9:45 AM – 11:45 AM

Underwriting Case Study
In this session, review an actual credit presentation and underwriting analysis that a bank has previously completed. Participants will divide into groups in order to work more efficiently in completing the analysis, and allow time for group discussion.

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM

Lunch

12:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Underwriting Case Study (Cont'd)
In this session, review an actual credit presentation and underwriting analysis that a bank has previously completed. Participants will divide into groups in order to work more efficiently in completing the analysis, and allow time for group discussion.

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Break

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Influential Client Conversations
At times, you’ll need share news with clients that may be hard for them to hear. It’s critical that you communicate this information properly, as to not damage your lender-client relationship. During this session, we’ll discuss best practices for difficult conversations that will help you make meaningful connections with clients, and maintain their trust.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Simulation Breakout 4

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Simulation Bid Session 4

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Tacos and Karaoke at Beeman Hotel

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Monitoring Your Commercial Loan Portfolio
Balancing business development and portfolio management is a necessary requirement in today’s business banking world. Regulators expect banks to have a robust risk management process in place, while still maintaining profitability. In this session, learn specific aspects of the risk management process, including procedures and reporting tools that are part of portfolio risk management.

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Break

10:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Simulation Review/Debrief

11:30 AM

School Concludes
Please do not make travel plans to depart before the session ends at 11:30 AM. If you elect to depart early, we cannot grant a program certificate.