Why Do Ag Lenders Perform Annual Financial Reviews?
Ag lenders perform annual financial reviews on farm loans to assess borrower financial health, monitor repayment capacity, and mitigate risk. These reviews allow lenders to stay updated on changes in the borrower’s financial situation, identify potential issues early on, and make informed decisions about farm loan renewals or adjustments. By conducting regular reviews, lenders can ensure that loans remain in compliance with lending policies and regulations while proactively addressing any emerging financial challenges.
To conduct an annual financial review, borrowers typically need to provide key financial documents such as balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, and tax returns for the previous year. These documents offer insights into borrower assets, liabilities, income, expenses, and cash flow, allowing lenders to evaluate the borrower’s financial performance and repayment capacity.
Borrowers can prepare year-round for an annual financial review, by considering the following steps:
- Gather Financial Documents: Collect all relevant financial documents, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, tax returns, and any other records requested by your lender. Ensure these documents are accurate, up-to-date, and organized for easy reference.
- Review Financial Performance: Analyze your financial performance over the past year, paying attention to key metrics such as revenue, expenses, liquidity, profitability, and cash flow. Identify any areas of strength or weakness that should be considered during the review.
- Address Any Outstanding Issues: Take proactive steps to address any outstanding issues or concerns that may impact your financial standing, such as late payments, delinquencies, or compliance issues. Be prepared to discuss these matters openly and transparently with your lender.
- Understand Loan Terms: Review the terms of your loan agreement, including interest rates, repayment schedules, covenants, and any other conditions or requirements. Make sure you adhere to covenants, provide required documentation, and meet any regulatory or reporting obligation.
- Prepare Questions: Think about any questions or topics you would like to discuss with your lender during the review. This could include inquiries about farm loan terms, financial performance, market conditions, or potential opportunities for growth or improvement.
- Prepare Projections: A projection or budget for the upcoming operating year will help your ag lender in forecasting performance for the next year.
During the review process, ag lenders examine various financial metrics and rations to assess the borrower’s financial health and loan repayment ability. Key indicators include liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, and efficiency ratios. Lenders also analyze trends in operational revenue, expenses, profitability, and cash flow to identify any areas of concern or improvement opportunities.
If a lender discovers concerns during your annual financial review, they may take various actions depending on the nature and severity of the issues. In some cases, your ag lender may collaborate with you to develop a plan to address the concerns and mitigate the risks. This could involve restructuring the farm loan, adjusting repayment terms, or providing additional support and guidance to help improve your financial situation.
While the annual financial review process may seem daunting to some borrowers, it should not necessarily be dreaded. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity to assess your financial health, address any concerns, and strengthen your relationship with your lender.
Consider asking questions to gain clarity on your financial situation, understand the terms of your loan, and identify opportunities for improvement:
- Can you provide an overview of my current financial standing and how it compares to previous reviews or benchmarks?
- Are there any areas of concern or improvement that you have identified based on the review?
- Can you provide insights or recommendations for optimizing my financial management or operations?
- How can I improve my farm loan repayment capacity or financial health to secure better terms or rates I the future?
- Are the any alternative financing options or programs available that could better suit my needs?
- What steps should I take to address any identified issues or concerns and improve my financial position moving forward?
These questions can help facilitate open communication with your ag lender, address any uncertainties or challenges, and ensure that you are making informed decisions to support your financial goals and agricultural operations.
Overall, annual financial reviews help ag lenders maintain a thorough understanding of their borrowers’ financial situations, identify potential risks, and ensure the continued success of lending relationships. By staying proactive and responsive to changes in the agricultural industry and individual borrower circumstances, lenders can effectively support the financial needs of farmers and ranchers while managing risk effectively. And a collaborative approach to the annual review process can lead to better outcomes for all.
Conterra Ag Capital is a private lender, focused exclusively on agriculture. Conterra lending experts are strategically positioned nationwide, providing flexible farm and ranch loans, crop operating loans, development and alternative lending to America’s farmers, ranchers and agribusiness. From farm and ranch loans to annual financial reviews, Conterra relationship managers are available to answer your ag lending questions.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, Conterra Ag Capital and its affiliates make no representation or warranty as to the completeness, correctness, timeliness, suitability, or validity of any information contained in this article. You should always consult a qualified financial advisor, tax professional, or other qualified professional for advice on your specific financial situation.
