Determining whether an unimpaired asset’s credit risk has meaningfully increased since the asset was initially recognized is one of the most consequential issues banks encounter in complying with IFRS 9. Recall the stakes:
- The expected credit loss for Stage 1 assets is calculated using the 12-month PD
- The ECL for Stage 2 assets (defined as assets whose credit risk has significantly increased since they were first recognized on the bank’s books) is calculated using the lifetime PD, just as it is for Stage 3 assets (which are in default).
To make the difference more concrete, consider the following:
- A bank extends an interest-bearing five-year loan of $1 million to Richmond Tool, a hypothetical Virginia-based tool, die, and mold maker serving the defense industry.
- At origination, the lender estimates the PD for the next 12 months at 1.5%, the PD for the rest of the loan term at 4%, and the loss that would result from default at $750,000.
- In a subsequent reporting period, the bank updates those figures to 2.5%, 7.3%, and $675,000, respectively.
If the loan were still considered a Stage 1 asset at the later reporting date, the ECL would be $16,875. But if it is deemed a Stage 2 or Stage 3 asset, then the ECL is $66,150, nearly four times as great.
Judging whether the credit risk underlying those PDs has materially increased is obviously important. But it is also difficult. There is a “rebuttable presumption” that an asset’s credit risk has increased materially when contractual payments are more than 30 days past due. In general, however, the bank cannot rely solely upon past-due information if forward-looking information is to be had, either on a loan-specific or a more general basis, without unwarranted trouble or expense.
The bank need not undertake an exhaustive search for information, but it should certainly take into account pertinent intelligence that is routinely gathered in the ordinary course of business.
For instance, Richmond Tool’s financial statements are readily available. Balance sheets are prepared as of a point in time; income and cash flow statements reflect periods that have already ended. Nonetheless, traditional ratio analysis serves to evaluate the company’s prospects as well as its current capital structure and historical operating results. With sufficient data, models can be built to forecast these ratios over the remaining life of the loan. Richmond Tool’s projected financial position and earning power can then be used to predict stage transitions.
Pertinent external information can also be gathered without undue cost or effort. For example, actual and expected changes in the general level of interest rates, mid-Atlantic unemployment, and defense spending are likely to affect Richmond Tool’s business prospects, and, therefore, the credit risk of the outstanding loan. The same holds true for regulatory and technological developments that affect the company’s operating environment or competitive position.
Finally, the combination of qualitative information and non-statistical quantitative information such as actual financial ratios may be enough to reach a conclusion. Often, however, it is appropriate to apply statistical models and internal credit rating processes, or to base the evaluation on both kinds of information. In addition to designing, populating, and testing mathematical models, FRG can help you integrate the statistical and non-statistical approaches into your IFRS 9 platform.
For more information about FRG’s modeling expertise, please click here.