Getting a Return on Relationship Profitability


profitability-7-8-19.pngHow profitable are your bank’s commercial relationships?

That may seem like a strange question, given that banks are in the relationship business. But relationship profitability is a complex issue that many banks struggle to master. A bank’s ability to accurately measure the profitability of its relationships may determine whether it’s a market leader or a stagnant institution just trying to survive. In my experience, the market leaders use the right profitability metrics, measure it at the right time and distribute that information to the right people.

Should Your Bank Use ROE or ROA? Yes.
Many banks use return on assets, or ROA, to measure their portfolio’s overall profitability. It’s a great way to compare a bank’s performance relative to others, but it can disguise credit issues hidden within the portfolio. To address that concern, the best-performing banks combine an ROA review with a more precise discussion on return on equity, or ROE. While ROA gives executives a view from above, ROE helps banks understand the value, and risk, associated with each deal.

ROA and ROE both begin with the same numerator: net income. But the denominator for ROA is the average balance; ROE considers the equity, or capital that is employed by the loan.

If your bank applies an average equity position to every booked loan, then this approach may not be for you. But banks that strive to apply a true risk-based approach that allocates more capital for riskier deals and less capital for stronger credits should consider how they could use this approach to help them calculate relationship profitability.

Take a $500,000 interest-only loan that will generate $5,000 of net income. The ROA on this deal will be 1 percent [$5,000 of net income divided by the $500,000 average balance]. The interest-only repayment helps simplify the outstanding balance discussion and replicates the same principles in amortizing deals.

You can assume there is a personal guarantee that can be added. It’s not enough to change the risk rating of the deal, but that additional coverage is always desirable. The addition of the guarantee does not reduce the outstanding balance, so the ROA calculation remains unchanged. The math says there is no value that comes from adding the additional protection.

That changes when a bank uses ROE.

Let’s say a bank initially allocated $50,000 of capital to support this deal, generating a 10 percent ROE [$5,000 of net income divided by the $50,000 capital].

The new guarantee changes the potential loss given default. A $1,000 reduction in the capital required to support this deal, because of the guarantee, increases ROE 20 basis points, to 10.20 percent [$5,000 of net income divided by the $49,000 of capital]. The additional guarantee reduced risk and improved returns on equity.

The ROA calculation is unchanged by a reduction in risk; ROE paints a more accurate picture of the deal’s profitability.

The Case for Strategic Value
Assume your bank won that deal and three years have now passed. When calculating that relationship’s profitability, knowing what you’ve earned to-date has a purpose; however, your competitors care only about what that deal looks like today and if they can win away that customer and all those future payments.

That’s why the best-performing banks consider what’s in front of them to lose, not what has been earned up to this point. This is called the relationship’s “strategic value.” It’s the value your competition understands.

When assessing a relationship’s strategic value, banks may identify vulnerable deals that they preemptively reprice on terms that are more favorable to the customer. That sounds heretical, but if your bank’s not making that offer, rest assured your competitors will.

The Right Information, to the Right People, at the Right Time
Once your bank has decided how it will measure profitability, you then need to consider who should get that information—and when. Banks often have good discussions about pricing tactics during exception request reviews, but by then the terms of the deal are usually set. It can be difficult to go back to ask for more.

The best-positioned banks use technology systems that can provide easily digestible profitability data to their relationship managers in a timely fashion. Relationship managers receive these insights as they negotiate the terms of the deal, not after they’ve asked for an exception.

Arming relationship managers with a clear understanding of both the loan and relationship profitability allows them to better price, and win, a deal that provides genuine value for the bank.

Then you can start answering other questions, like “What’s the secret to your bank’s success?”

The Secret To Mortgage Lending To First-Time Buyers

mortgage-2-11-19.pngMarket volatility and interest rate hikes have created uncertainty for the entire mortgage industry. Lending portfolio growth has also met pressure from the tight housing supply and the influence of fintech on the mortgage process.
One bright spot in the coming years will undoubtedly be the first-time homebuyer market, but banks must adapt traditional lending practices to capitalize and compete successfully.

First-time home purchasers are now 33 percent of potential buyers. Some surveys have indicated millennials–the largest future housing buyer population–are starting to embrace home ownership. Crafting effective loan options for this demographic can provide opportunity for mortgage and home equity portfolio growth, achieve consumers’ home ownership goals and deliver beneficial partnerships between banks and borrowers for years.

Banks must address the following concerns with the first-time buyer:

  • Affordability: They are more likely to seek popular urban and so-called “surban” (new or redeveloped areas with an urban feel) environments to live. Today’s first-time buyers are enticed by alternative housing choices that typically have higher-priced entry points. Traditional builders have not focused on this sector due to profitability pressures from increased labor and materials costs, leading to a limited supply of entry-level housing. Rising interest rates further stress affordability factors for the first-time buyer and limit the options available for mortgage funding. 
  • Debt and Lack of Savings: More than 50 percent of millennials carry a rising amount of debt, with the average 2016 graduate holding more than $37,000 in student loans compared to $18,000 for the average 2003 graduate, according to Forbes. The pressure of this debt load means would-be buyers have little or no savings available for the traditional 20 percent down payment. Rate increases, especially on adjustable student loans, can exacerbate this issue for the first-time buyer though Redfin predicts a competitive labor market should bring higher wages in 2019.
  • Income and Alternative Purchase Structures: The rise of the “gig economy” has led to a high number of independent contractors in this cohort, according to Forbes. Emerging first-time buyers have also shown interest in purchasing homes to create opportunities for rental income and nontraditional co-borrowers.

Lenders can differentiate their approval process from competitors by empowering loan underwriters with structures and guidelines that address the unique challenges of the first-time borrower. Revising mortgage guidelines and devising strategies for affordable home ownership will create valuable long-term relationships with first-time homebuyers. Just a few approaches to consider are:

  • Rethinking Loan Parameters: Mixed-use properties and home-improvement loans are typically excluded from the primary mortgage process. Banks incorporating alternative building structure options and creating allowances for home renovations in the initial mortgage parameters can substantially increase the pool of homes available to buyers. 
  • Differentiating Loan Structures: Traditional mortgages may be out of reach for many first-time buyers and may not address alternative housing solutions. While options with a higher loan-to-value ratio exist, most require mortgage insurance and are subject to increased scrutiny. Pairing conforming first mortgages with home equity loans and lines offer affordable loan structures at higher loan-to-value ratios and create long-term relationships. With proper planning, including the possible use of portfolio protection products, these structures can be offered without adding risk to the bank’s loan portfolio. 
  • Diversifying Income and Debt Guidelines: Considering tenant income and/or co-borrowers may be the only option for a potential buyer to enter the housing market. In addition, banks may also need to expand guidelines to allow for alternate sources of income, such as independent contracting income, in the underwriting decision process. 

Even with numerous obstacles, first-time home buyers offer opportunity in the mortgage origination market. Addressing the needs of this sector while avoiding the risks, lenders can create profitable mortgage and home equity portfolios, which may be the best way to mitigate the uncertainty of traditional lending in the future.

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