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How to Tiptoe (Rather Than Stumble) into Member Business Services. Jeff Stone EVP, Member Business Services North Island Credit Union jstone@myisland.com. What is a Board of Directors to Do?. Management wants to pursue Member Business Lending (MBL) and Deposit Services
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How to Tiptoe (Rather Than Stumble) into Member Business Services Jeff Stone EVP, Member Business Services North Island Credit Union jstone@myisland.com
What is a Board of Directors to Do? • Management wants to pursue Member Business Lending (MBL) and Deposit Services • How should the Board of Directors respond and what kind of due diligence and preparation should they be looking for??? • In short, what questions should you be asking?
Does Management Have a Business Plan? Have they determined what your credit union will do with the MBL Product? • Buy Loans Only (In-Participations) • Originate Commercial Real Estate Loans Only -- OR • Build a Full Member Business Services Infrastructure (including deposits)—and if so, have they identified a niche to serve?
Early on Board Education • Do you have Enough Information to: • Understand the Paradigm Shift from Consumer Lending? • Understand the Risks of these New Products? • Determine if your Credit Union has the Resources to pull off the plan over the next 2-4 years? • Decide: is the right move in today’s Economic Conditions? • Has Management Explained the Details and Sought out Your Input? • Have you Determined the Level and Process for Ongoing Board Oversight and Involvement? • Bottom Line: Do you “Buy In” to the Concept?
Policies • MBL Policy must be in place Before you do or buy your first loan • Must Conform to the Requirements of 12 CFR Section 723.6 • Should Quantify your Potential Exposure in Terms of Percentage of Net Worth • If your Credit Union will buy and/or sell Loan Participations, the NCUA also requires that you have a Separate Participation Policy • Policies vs Procedures • The NCUA has recently indicated that Procedures should also be approved by the Board
Continuous Monitoring via: • Policy vs. Regulatory Loan to One Borrower (LTOB) Limits • The Board may wish to set an Internal Policy Limit that is Lower than your Regulatory Limit (15% of Net Worth) • All Policy Exceptions should require Board Approval Prior to Loan Funding • Quarterly Reports on All Aspects of the Program • Especially on relationship to MBL CAP and • Procedural Exceptions
Which Road to Take? • What steps should your Credit Union take to get to the planned objective? • This Presentation will use North Island as an Example • Because we lingered at many of the possible stopping points as we wandered down our Road • Also, there are several CUSOs that have been created to assist you in this process
The North Island Approach: What We Will Cover • Why Do Member Business Services? • The How and What of North Island’s Program • Risk Mitigation and Board Oversight Tools
Why North Island Went Down this Road Why North Island Went Down this Road
Member Business Lending:The Starting Point • ALCO Asset Diversification Strategy • Enhanced Profitability—Alternative “Investment” Strategy—but these are all Loans and not Investments • A Means to Build Core Deposits
Asset Diversification • New Loan Types • Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Loans—to Start • SBA 504 Loans • Secured & Unsecured Lines of Credit • Equipment & Auto Term Loans • SBA 7a and State Government Guaranteed Loans
Portfolio Yield • 4-5 years ago CRE Loan yields were 200 bps over the portfolio average • Its still over average, even with the current tighter margins and intense competition, but now the bump is down to 60 bps • However, Loan Fees and Servicing Income add greatly to total income
Ability to Attract Low Cost Deposits • Conversion to a Community Charter Helps • Bank Consolidations = CU Opportunities • Displaced Bankers Are Source of Experienced Staff • CU Service Levels Get Results • Can Outsource other Fee Driven Services
How WeGot Started: The Gradual Approach
The Progression • Six Month Due Diligence Process • Built Portfolio & Infrastructure by Buying Loan Participations • Established Wholesale Lending Pipeline by Establishing Broker Network • Managed the CAP by Selling Participations • Created Relationships (and Core Deposits) with Direct Lending through Branches
The Due Diligence Process Spent 6 Months on a Consulting Contract to Determine Feasibility • Market Niche Created by Bank Mergers • Focus Groups to Ask Existing Business Like Members and Previous Clients what they Valued Most. • Step by Step Plan to Create Products & Services • Cost Analysis
Loan Participation Purchases Low Cost of Entry into a New Line of Business: • No Need to Hire Staff at the Outset • Due Diligence Can Be Performed by: • A Consultant OR Another Credit Union/CUSO with the Required Expertise • Your Credit Union Has to Make Final Decision on All Loans • Loans Typically will Fit on Your Existing Real Estate System
Loan Participation Sales • Provide Full Service to Members • Acts as a Tool to Deal with LTOB Limitations • Mitigates Impact of MBL CAP • 156% Without Participations • Increases Loan Yield • Prepayment Penalties and Servicing Fees
Accounting Benefits of Loan Participations Sales • The Fee Income Associated with the Sold Portion Goes to the Bottom Line • The Remainder Needs to be Amortized • Seller Collects a Servicing Fee • The Servicing Fee is Capitalized—It Too Goes to the Bottom Line • The Expense is then Amortized over the Expected Life of the Loan • Prepayment Exposure—Primary Reason for Penalties
The Jump to Business Services Two Approaches—Depends on Your Market & Comfort Level —Prepare a Business Plan and Choose: • Add Services as Members Request Them • Limited Suite of Products • Like North Island—Move Quickly to Full Product Line • Requires Willingness to Make Expenditures for: • Experienced Staff • Powerful Host System—with Open Architecture, or • Bolt On Middleware
Our “Lucky” Breaks • Changed Charters to Community • Businesses themselves could now join • Host System Conversion • Old Legacy System was going out of service • New system handles both consumer and business transactions • Costly—but the income from several years of CRE Loan production helped pay the way • Bank Mergers made Staff Available
Infrastructure Overview
Branch Staff’s Role • Training a Must • We Have Our Own Six Week Omega Based MBS Training Program for Branch Managers and others • Incentives and Sales Culture • New Accounts Training • Internal Website Provides the Tools
Branches • Business Deposits • Basic, Classic and Analyzed Checking • Savings, Money Market & CDs • Loans • Overdraft Lines of Credit Approved at Branch Through Credit Scoring • Fed Tax Deposits
Branches with Business Services’ Support • Deposit Services • Business On-line Banking • ACH Origination • Sweep (on balance sheet) • Zero Balance Accounts • What did you say??? • Business Loans • Business Auto Loans • Unsecured LOC’s • Business Debit Cards
Through Business Services • Business Loans • Commercial Real Estate Loans • (Wholesale/ Direct and Participations) • Secured & Unsecured Lines • Government Guaranteed Loans
Through Vendors • Payroll • Merchant Credit Card • Business Credit Cards • Courier & Armored Car • Lockbox • Processing of payments from our Members’ customers • Equipment Leasing • Letters of Credit • Insurance & Investment Services • - Referred to Investment Dept (former CUSO)
Vendor Due Diligence • Several of the Vendors were known to us from our Previous Lives • Others We Checked Out via References and Test Cases • On others, we used Multiple Vendors • And in one case (Letters of Credit) we use a Statewide Bank • Regulators want the credit union to know who they are dealing with
Insurance & Investment Services Dept. Cross Sales • Employee Benefits • 401K and Pension • Cafeteria • Group Insurance • Medical • Term Life • Auto Insurance • Long-Term Care • Educational Workshops
Web Based Components • www.MyIsland.com - Public • www.MyIsland.com/brokers Public • www.MyIsland.com/partners –Public • Islandnet – Corporate Intranet
Phase III Introductions • Phase III Introductions • Account Analysis Enhancements • Off Balance Sheet Sweep (future) • Positive Pay (on the way) • Third Party CD’s (done) • Remote Deposit Capture (this year)
Other Considerations
Staffing—The Relationship Managers • Former Bankers • Business Bankers from a Community Bank • Easier Fit in Credit Union Culture • Plus Usually Well Rounded • Often More Costly than Consumer Lenders • Becoming Harder to Find • Especially with Required Experience—7 to 10 years • Bank Mergers often make talent available • Training/Succession • Marketing Support
Underwriting • More Intensive than Consumer Loans • Financial Statement Analysis • How the Business is performing in relationship to its Peers and your Underwriting Requirements • Tax Analysis • Evaluating the Business Owner’s Tax Returns is quite Important—since most of us are Lending to Small Businesses with One or Two Owners • In other words, the financial capacity of the Business and its Owners are linked together
Credit Scoring • Cost of System vs. Credit Analyst • Determine Maximum Loan Size to Credit Score • Determine Loss Tolerance—especially in current economy • Look for Single Data Entry Capabilities • Can It Interface with Doc Prep and Host?
Loan Documentation • Look for Recognized System • Multiple options available • Again—Be aware of systems ability to interface with existing programs!!
Quality Control Audit Need Independent Person Reviewing New Loan Files Ours comes in once a month Selects a Sampling of loans to review Does a Comprehensive Report on both technical issues and credit quality Report sent to EVP Risk Management Copy to Business Services Dept. Head for a Response
Annual Loan Reviews • Commercial Real Estate Loans • Annually we Inspect the Properties for Each Participated Loan • We Obtain Updated Rent Rolls and P&L Statements on the Property • We run a Negative Screen Credit Report on the Principals • We request Full Financials if Screen Reveals any Issues or Covenant Violations • Business Loans • Site Visits, Covenant Tracking and Financial Updates on Business Loans
Asset Quality Monitoring • Monthly, Our Credit Administrator prepares a Report to our EVP Risk Administration, who is in charge of the Loan Loss Allocation, regarding the Status (and Workout Progress) of all our Classified Member Business Loans • Stay on top of Problem Loans!!!!!
What We Report • Year To Date Production Results • Loans • Deposits • Fee Income • Commitments over $3MM with Procedural Exceptions • Attach Both the Exception and Mitigant Discussion from the Loan Memo • Delinquent Loan Status
What We Report—cont. • The Concentration Reports • The CRE Portfolio Breakdowns • The NAICS Code Breakdown • The Stress Test Results • Industry Trends • Our Evaluation of What is Happening in Our Market—Price Wars, CAP Rates, etc. • Articles on the Status of the Market for the Various Property Types