Bank Credit Analyst
It is a financial professional who evaluates the creditworthiness of securities, individuals, or businesses.
Updated:
September 15, 2022A credit analyst is a financial professional who evaluates the creditworthiness of securities, individuals, or businesses. In addition, credit analysts assess the likelihood that borrowers can repay their financial obligations by reviewing their financial and credit history.
They also consider the borrower's financial health and the economic conditions that may affect the borrower's repayment capabilities.
Credit analysts at banks play an important role in the economy. For example, when providing lines of credit to those who apply for individual or business loans, they offer advice or recommendations to banks and insurers.
Individuals in bank credit analyst positions are knowledgeable about financial statements and concepts, can work effectively in a high-pressure environment, and have strong attention to detail.
Credit analysts must have a background in finance, economics, mathematics, accounting, or a related field. Candidates with bachelor's degrees and experience are preferred, though if someone has a graduate degree, a potential employer may overlook experience.
Some analysts have additional advanced certification, such as training provided by the National Association of Credit Analysts.
A Bank Credit Analyst's Responsibilities
A bank credit analyst's role varies depending on the employer, but in general, the job entails the following responsibilities:
- Examine a client's credit history and financial statements to determine credit risk
- Produce credit risk reports
- Client records are evaluated, and payment plans are recommended
- Create financial ratios for clients to assess their financial situation
- Consolidate credit files and look for differences and discrepancies
- Work with clients to verify financial statements or transactions
- Keep up with the most recent lending protocols.
A credit analyst collects and analyzes financial information related to lending and credit products. This includes examining borrowers' payment history and liabilities, earnings, and assets.
The analyst searches for indicators that the borrower may be risky. The information is used to recommend credit approval or denial and determine whether to increase or decrease credit limits or charge additional fees.
Their jobs require them to interpret financial statements and use ratios to assess a potential borrower's fiduciary behavior and history. In addition, they determine whether the borrower's cash flows are adequate by comparing ratios to industry data benchmarks.
For example, a credit analyst at a bank may review an agricultural company's financial statements before approving a loan for new farm equipment.
Employment is available at various financial institutions, including banks, investment firms, credit unions, credit rating agencies, insurance firms, and asset management firms. Analysts who work in securities and commodity contracts are paid the most.
Educational Prerequisites
A bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or business is required for employment as a bank credit analyst in the finance industry. In addition, you should be familiar with related subjects such as ratio analysis, statistics, economics, risk assessment, calculus, and financial statement analysis.
After completing your bachelor's degree, you may want to gain a few years of quantitative solid work experience in accounting, accounts receivable, or credit application processing to prepare for a bank credit analyst position.
Consider taking certification courses designed for bank credit analysts after you have worked in the industry for a while. It is not a required step, but it will give you an advantage because many employers prefer those with certifications.
Credit analyst certification courses are available from various educational institutes and organizations, whether online or in a classroom setting.
Employers and Career Opportunities
Bank credit analysts typically work in commercial and investment banks, credit card companies, investment firms, and credit rating agencies. Wells Fargo & Co., Comerica Bank, Bank of America Corp., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and KeyBank are involved.
The breadth and depth of educational background and experience enable bank credit analysts to pursue various career paths in the finance industry.
Commercial credit analysis, deposit and non-depository credit intermediation, lessors of real estate, financial investment, securities, corporation credit departments, insurance-related activities, and credit and loan departments of various industries are some of these areas.
Credit Ratings and Credit Analysts
Credit analysts may issue credit scores as well. A credit score is a three-digit number that ranges between 200 and 850. The FICO score is the most common type of individual credit score.
Individual credit scores are typically generated through algorithmic processes based on credit payment histories, spending, and previous bankruptcies.
Letter grades assign ratings to debt issuers and their instruments, such as bonds. For example, AAA is the highest rating, followed by AA+, BBB, and so on. When a company's debt falls below a certain rating, it is considered junk or below investment grade.
These investments typically have higher yields to compensate for the increased credit risk. Bonds issued by sovereign governments can also have credit ratings. Bond credit analysts are frequently employed by credit rating agencies such as Moody's or Standard & Poor's (S&P).
Rating agencies such as AM Best rate insurance companies based on their credit risk and financial stability.
Abilities you need to be a credit analyst.
Knowledge of the industry - No company exists in a vacuum. What happens in one industry affects all of the companies in that industry.
Knowing the overall industry allows you to determine whether your client company is doing better or worse than its competitors and whether it is a good idea to lend to them.
Client knowledge - Knowing the industry and having a general credit skill set is important, but a deep understanding of a client's operations distinguishes good credit analysts from great ones. This happens naturally over time, but some analysts are always better than others.
Analytical mindset - Being a credit analyst necessitates good reasoning and math skills. These skills will most likely be tested when you first sit for an interview. Unfortunately, not all information is available, and not all dots are automatically connected.
A good credit analyst should be able to recognize patterns and draw logical conclusions based on the information at hand.
Credit abilities - Once you have all the information, you must analyze it. Keep in mind that the purpose of this analysis is to persuade the bank's decision-makers, not you, that the client will not steal the bank's money.
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You must consider their balance sheets' strength, growth prospects, ability to repay, market positions, and various other factors. This may sound intimidating, but it is the easiest part to learn if you have a natural aptitude for logical reasoning.
Being self-assured and convincing- Not everything can be measured objectively. You would frequently rely on your persuasion powers to get a subjective point across.
For example, a 0.5 percent change in one metric may be significant to one person but insignificant to another.
It is up to the credit analyst to persuade the credit approver that X is essential and Y is not.
FAQs
Accounting skills, such as the ability to create and analyze financial statements and ledgers, are required of a credit analyst. In addition, many credit analysts will be proficient in risk assessment, mathematics, statistics, computing, and quantitative analysis.
Credit analysts must be problem solvers with strong attention to detail and the ability to research and document their findings. In addition, they should understand and apply financial, banking, and business terminology.
A bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or a related field is typically required to work as a credit analyst. A potential employer may look to see if you've taken statistics, economics, financial statement analysis, or risk assessment courses.
Certifications in the industry can also help you get a job as a credit analyst or advance your career in the field.
Credit risk certification (CRC), credit business associate (CBA), credit business fellow (CBF), professional certificate in credit, and certified credit executive are all common certifications for credit analysts (CCE).
Some credit analysts hold certifications such as chartered financial analysts (CFA) or certified risk analysts (CRA).
Yes, a credit analyst can be a good job if you have an interest in accounting or finance and a desire to assist businesses and consumers in making credit decisions and reducing financial risk.
The estimated wage range for credit analysts in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was $44,250 to $146,690. Credit analysts earned an average annual salary of $86,170.
Monetary authorities (central banks), securities, commodities, financial investment firms, insurance carriers, and business support firms are the highest-paying industries for credit analysts.
California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois have the highest employment levels for credit analysts.
Credit analysis is one of the most rewarding career paths for a professional interested in finance. The job necessitates sharp analytical skills and a keen interest in analyzing a company's financial and operational data.
It allows you to participate in discussions with the client's top management and conduct independent research to assess the client's credit profile.
A credit analyst collects and analyzes financial information about loan applicants, such as payment habits and history, earnings and savings, and spending patterns. The credit analyst then recommends whether the loan should be approved or denied.
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