Having thorough knowledge and understanding in advance is essential for making informed decisions, and SME lending is no different. In the underwriting process, lenders commonly use business bank statements to collect financial insights about applicants.
Business bank statements, which comprise a transaction list over a certain period, serve as a crucial foundation for financial analysis and loan decision-making. Are bank statements that important? How can it help lenders in determining potential clients? This article will explain why business bank statements are useful in SME lending.
The Crucial Role of Business Bank Statements
- Reliable Source
A business bank statement is an official bank account summary that provides actual data on business transaction activity. Typically, applicants must submit bank statements from the last 3-6 months to help lenders conduct comprehensive evaluations. This makes it a trusted source for lenders to learn, analyze, and understand he business’s financial performance month to month. To prevent fake documents, ensure that the submitted copy has been validated by the issuing bank.
- Cash Flow Tracking
Bank statements always consist of debit and credit columns. Debit refers to outgoing money, while credit refers to incoming money. It is important to monitor the SME’s cash flow and their capability of maintaining a healthy financial position. Lenders can assess how an SME manages cash flow to cover day-to-day operations and foresee how this influences their ability to fulfill loan agreements. Cash flow patterns can also vary according to their business type, such as distributor, retailer, or others.
- Analyze Profitability & COGS
Based on historical transaction data, lenders can derive multiple insights into their business profit and cost of goods sold (COGS). From credit, lenders can calculate the estimated total income and profit. From debit, lenders can calculate the estimated total cost of the materials and labor used in producing the goods. The obtained information can later help lenders determine whether the business is qualified to secure financing or not.
- Debt & Obligations Assessment
Derive essential information on their past or existing loans, which can strongly indicate future behavior. Identify whether they have made consistent, timely repayments on loans and other financial obligations. This can help lenders to foresee their credit risk, including how they will manage their debt payments later.
Lenders need to carefully consider ensuring that the funding goes to trustworthy SMEs. This action encompasses the verification of the applicant’s business profile and financial condition. Bank statement analysis makes lenders aware of potential financial fraud, such as sudden large withdrawals, teller transactions outside of business hours, and balance discrepancies. Lenders must seek further confirmation if any of the fraudulent signs are found.
The Potential of AI for Bank Statement Analysis
Analyzing vast amounts of data in business bank statements may pose several challenges due to its intricate and complex steps. Especially when it still relies on manual inputting, categorizing, and analyzing financial data. Say bye to the paperwork burden; the power of AI has influenced how bank statement analysis can be done today. By leveraging AI, lenders can significantly increase the accuracy and efficiency of bank statement processing.
Bank Statement Analyzer by Fintelite stands at the forefront of revolutionizing lending underwriting. We are bringing AI-powered solutions for every finance professional to uncover meaningful insights from raw bank data, allowing them to identify financial standing and potential risk. Our Bank Statement Analyzer extracts enriches, and analyzes leads in minutes, presenting the financial analysis in interactive dashboards. Explore monthly transaction summary and its breakdown with graph visualization. Experience the convenience firsthand by signing up for a free trial account, or book a demo to discuss further how Fintelite could benefit you.
