Safeguarding Bank Assets with an Early Warning System
5 likes4,622 views
The document discusses the importance of an early warning system for banks to safeguard assets and reduce risks associated with non-performing loans. It identifies key warning indicators across financial, behavioral, geographic, industry, and perception categories, urging banks to adopt proactive monitoring practices. The paper outlines a framework for establishing such a system, emphasizing the need for continuous communication and performance tracking to identify potential risks early.
Safeguarding Bank Assets with an Early Warning System
- 1. Safeguarding Bank Assets with an Early Warning System To alleviate the risks of non-performing loans, banks must build an effective early warning system to protect their assets and reduce the impact of payment delinquency. Executive Summary The last decade’s global financial crisis create a tough terrain for the banking industry. Th impact of nonperforming assets caused overhea to soar — a predicament that continues unabate in certain market segments (e.g., retail an mortgage banking). For example, as shown o page 2, in 2012 a significant number of banks portfolios suffered from nonperforming assets. In this uncertain environment, multiple stake holders, as well as regulators, need constant reas surance that their expectations of good-qualit low-risk loans can be met through ongoing sur veillance and early detection. Accordingly, insti tutions realize they must be more proactive i monitoring their assets. The warning signs of problem assets can b grouped into five areas: financial, behavioral geographic, industry and perception. In this whit paper, we will analyze these areas and identif measurable indicators. We will also pinpoint an discuss steps that banks can take to safeguar their assets, and present a basic framework tha can be used to develop an early warning system. d e d d d n ’ - - y, - - n e , e y d d t An Early Warning System: Overview and Business Case An early warning System (EWS) is a set of guided processes for identifying risks at a nascent stage. A well designed EWS helps senior management forecast impending events likely to negatively affect the organization. Moreover, such a system can significantly strengthen oversight of a bank’s assets.1 Effective monitoring can lower loan-loss contin- gency by 10% to 20%.2 Institutions with sound credit-monitoring practices have a strong risk appetite, a higher return on equity, and a better capital yield. They can maintain tighter control over their assets by: • Minimizing the likelihood of customer defaults: Evaluating a portfolio on a regular basis helps to maintain loan quality. In the case of a single customer, the monitoring mechanism systematically scans the portfolio — exposure by exposure — with the relevant EWS. If a red flag is raised, the system triggers the appropriate action to prevent default. cognizant 20-20 insights | august 2014 • Cognizant 20-20 Insights
- 2. 2 • Proliferating the collateral value of defaulted loans (reducing loss in case of default): Evaluating a portfolio, as well as monitoring individual customers, involves augmenting and maximizing the collateralization for sectors and/or individual customers under surveil- lance, thereby mitigating loss in the event of an actual default. • Decreasing the exposure of defaulting customers: While monitoring and analyzing portfolios helps ensure that banks lower their exposure to at-risk sectors, timely interven- tion at the individual level can help to minimize exposure to high-risk customers.3 Early Warning Indicators As noted, the warning signs of problem loans span financial, behavioral, geographic, industry and perception categories. In the following sections, we will analyze and identify indicators, as well as remediation measures, that pertain to each of these areas. Financial Indicators Financial indicators are among the most reliable ways to target asset-related issues, and can be a major red flag for banks (see Figure 2, page 3). A late loan payment or a sudden overdraft can be very revealing.4 Financial indicators can also signal other problems, such as: • Frequent credit checks and inquiries about a customer, hinting at anomalies in his or her credit history. • Guaranteed payments towards creditors become a necessary requirement. • A rise in the number of returned items from the deposits or returned checks drawn on the customer’s account. • Utilizing operating loans completely — and for extended periods. • Breaching the limit of operating loans; for example, a sudden overdraft without any business logic. • Pending unpaid dues to third parties, such as healthcare providers. • Delayed or missed employee payrolls. • A noticeable increase in collection activity, either on behalf of or against the customer. • Regular and unplanned requests for a temporary loan accommodation. • Operating loan covenants fully utilized or actually out of covenant. • Changes in the health of accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable. cognizant 20-20 insights The Price of Non-Performing Assets: Results from 2012 Non-Performing Loans of Commercial Banks in Billion Yuan Percentage of NPLS to Total Lending Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar. 433.3 422.9 407.8 427.9 438.2 456.4 478.8 492.9 526.5 2011 2012 2013 1.10 1.00 0.90 1.00 0.94 0.94 0.95 0.95 0.96 Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar. Jun. Sep. Dec. Mar. Source: Wind Information, LIYI/China Daily. Figure 1
- 3. 3cognizant 20-20 insights Financial Indicator Measures Figure 2 Indicators Measure High Medium Low Customer’s creditworthiness Increase in number of credit checks and inquiries about the customer. X Customer’s creditworthiness More necessity for guaranteed payments towards creditors, i.e., Letters of Credit or bank checks. X Customer’s creditworthiness Returned items from deposits made by the client. X Customer’s creditworthiness Returned checks drawn on the client’s account. X Operating loan utilization Operating loans fully utilized for extended periods. X Operating loan utilization Operating loans over their limit; for example, a sudden unrequested overdraft. X Legal proceedings Increased litigation against the client. X Legal proceedings Third-party claims such as those due to the government or healthcare providers. X Expenses management Payroll delayed or missed (a very serious situation). X Operating margin Increased collection activity either by or against the client. X Cash flow requirements Frequent and sudden requests for a temporary bulge or loan accommodation. X Covenants and collateral tracking Operating loan covenants squeezed or actually out of covenant. X Appropriate use of operating loans Any inappropriate trend relative to events; for example, a fully used operating loan inconsistent with sales or credit policy. X Accounts receivable (A/R) should represent actual realizable value in the normal course of business. A conservative measure would be to deduct all of any account that is well beyond the normal terms of trade. For example, this would be over 90 days for accounts with 30-day terms. X Inventory must represent actual items that are in good/usable condition. For inventory, obsolete, spoiled, recalled or unsalable items should be deducted. X Accounts payable must include all amounts that are due. AP principally addresses trade debt, and may include such things as employee deductions for accrued insurance payments or other third-party liabilities. Can also include more exotic liabilities, such as amounts due for environmental or labor fines. X
- 4. cognizant 20-20 insights 4 Behavioral Indicators Behavioral warning signs give lenders clues about the integrity and competency of owners and managers. The symptoms of behavioral problems can be identified by the following indicators: • Any attempt at deception/misrepresentation of facts (this is a clear warning sign and needs to be heeded). • Regular and consistent attempts at delaying financial reporting requirements; reluctance or unwillingness to respond to various communi- cations. • Avoiding direct and complete responses to specific questions; bluffing by answering a question with a question. • Evading requests or providing irrelevant information to a request; excessive delays in responding to a request for no valid reason. • Evidence that points to the possibility of records being misrepresented or inadvertently destroyed. • Key resources/personnel not present in important planning and strategy sessions. • A sudden and significant decline in liquidity, reflected by a lack of major investments, expansion plans, etc. • Frequent personnel changes to the accounting team or in accounting practices. • Frequently approaches different accounting firms. • Overemployment, i.e., employee strength does not correlate with business volume; maintains non-existent employees on the company payroll. • Transferring assets without any concrete business reason to back up the decision; dis- posing of the asset at less than the fair value. • Excessive number of business accounts that seem irrelevant to the needs of the business. • Misdirection of current payments to clear dues related to older accounts. • Creating fake or shell entities for the purpose of misappropriating goods and services. Geographic Indicators Some of the symptoms of geographic problems can be identified by the following indicators: • Exchange rate devaluation. • Continuous decline in economic growth in the region. • Degraded creditworthiness in the country. • Continuous increase in yield on sovereign bonds. • Steady growth in money laundering. Country risks due to unfavorable political environment. Industry Indicators The symptoms of industry-specific problems can be identified by the following indicators: • Steady decline in industrial growth rate. • Increase in adverse industry regulations, such as a ban on exports. • Inability to control increasing costs and rising input prices. • Threat of business shift to emerging markets. • Changing customer behavior with respect to the business segment.5 Perception Indicators Perception plays a major role in augmenting a company’s growth and its assets. Perception- based problems can be identified by some of the following indicators: • A decrease in awareness of the client’s brand and/or logo. • Less positive media exposure. • Deteriorating relationships. • Equity market collapse. • Negative price perception in the eyes of end- customers. • Recall of sold products. Key Preventive Measures The most important rule for protecting assets is “know thy client.” This is essential — from loan origination through the process of monitoring debt obligation. Understanding the client is the first principle in loan monitoring. With this in mind, we advise banks to: 1. Maintain frequent communication with the client. This practice throws light on the client’s ongoing operations — highlighting if there are any debt-related security issues to consider. It also offers an opportunity to communicate directly with company employees. 2. Pursue active interaction with accounting teams. Communicate and interact with the core members of the internal accounting team and the external accounting firm representing the customer. This should include a meeting at the offices of the accounting firm.
- 5. cognizant 20-20 insights 5 Behavioral Indicator Measures Indicators Measure High Medium Low Trust and credibility Any deception, misrepresentation or lie. (This is a clear and strong warning sign). X Sound and timely financial reporting Any consistent delay in financial reporting requirements. X Customer communication A reluctance or unwillingness to communicate. X Customer communication Failure to respond to a specific question directly and entirely. X Customer communication In an interview, answering a question with a question. X Customer communication Providing evasive or unspecific information to a request. X Customer communication Unreasonable and frequent delays in response to a request. X Asset records maintenance Any indication that records have been mislaid or inadvertently destroyed. X Stakeholder interest in business strategy and planning Absence of key personnel from crucial planning or strategic sessions. X Liquidity decline A very rapid and significant decline in liquidity that does not seem to be supported or explained by business conditions or events. X Accounting staff and procedures Too much change in accounting personnel or procedures. X External accounting firm changes Changing external accounting firms too often. X Improper documentation Excessive photocopies of invoices, particularly if they are out of sequence. X Number of employees A disconnect between the number of employees relative to business volumes; also, false payroll using nonexistent employees. X Asset transfer Asset transfer without a sound business reason or at less than fair value. X Large number of accounts A large number of business accounts inappropriate for business needs. X Lapping Lapping, or misdirecting customer payments, such as using a current payment to pay older accounts. X Fake entities The use of fake or shell entities to manipulate goods and services. X Figure 3
- 6. cognizant 20-20 insights 6 Geographic Indicator Measures Industry Indicator Measures Indicators Measure High Medium Low Exchange rate devaluation Volume, composition and volatility of any foreign exchange trading positions taken by the financial institution. X Economic growth Sustained YOY decline in economic growth of the region. X Change in creditworthiness Country ratings downgraded by credit rating agencies like S&P. X Yield on sovereign bonds Consistent YOY increase in yield on sovereign bonds of the region. X Money laundering Consistent increase in number and volume of reported money laundering activities in the region. X Country risks Enhanced probability of unstable political situation. X Indicators Measure High Medium Low Industrial growth rate Consistently less than expected growth rate YOY in the asset industry. X Industry regulations Industry regulations resulting in losses such as exporting bans. X Inability to control costs/ rising input prices Continuous decrease in operational margins across the industry. X Emerging markets Inability to penetrate emerging markets. X Changing customer behavior Failure to respond to shifting consumer behavior. X Figure 4 Figure 5 Perception Indicator Measures Indicators Measure High Medium Low Brand awareness Brand impact due to multiple mismanaged deliveries. X Media exposure Multiple negative news stories published. X Relationships Deteriorating relationships with suppliers and end- customers. X Stock trading Consistently declining company stock QOQ. X Price perception Feeling of overpriced products, and better-quality goods being available in the market. X Recall of sold products Multiple YOY recall of goods already sold to customers due to hazardous defect detection. X Figure 6
- 7. cognizant 20-20 insights 7 3. Institute performance tracking. This informa- tion should be used to draw parallels in order to track performance in key areas such as sales, cost of goods sold and working capital. 4. Identify behavioral signals. Use plant visits and monthly reporting as opportunities to identify behavioral red flags. 5. Establish a minimum number of asset covenants that have maximum import. There is little point in creating many covenants, most of which will be breached and almost all auto- matically waived. 6. Heed multiple warning signals. Multiple warning signs from any quarter are an indication of distress. An Early Warning System Framework A rules-based EWS identifies borrowers at risk of distress or default. Such a system must not only integrate a reliable database and rigorous statistics; it must also ensure that “soft” success factors are in place, i.e., close collaboration among monitors, underwriters and the front line Identified cases are assigned to different watch- list categories, depending on the nature and severity of the risk. Assignment to a watch-list category triggers a predefined set of risk-mitigat- ing actions, including some that are mandatory and others that are optional (for example, reducing internal limits or increasing pricing). However, as always, the devil is in the detail.” Our framework defines an approach for creating an early warning system for assets. For every asset, the framework would need to be populated at the creation stage. There are generally three stages in the lifecycle of an asset: creation, servicing/monitoring and closure. The EWS process will run in parallel, and reverberate throughout these stages. The following constitute the three major phases of operation of an early warning system: 1. Identification and capture: This phase encom- passes three steps: >> Indicator identification: Relevant indicators against the five early warning indicator cat- egories are identified and selected, based on their significance for the asset type. >> Definition of measures against indicators: For each selected indicator, one or more measures need to be defined; most must be defined quantitatively. >> Trigger definition: Depending on the sever- ity assessment of the measures, triggers A Framework for Capturing Early Warnings Early Warning Measures Against Indicators Financial eMeMsasaruree1 eMeMsasaruree22 …… Remove Early Warning Indicators Against the Closed Loan Warning Trigger Process Behavioral Geographic Industry Perception Automated Asset Monitoring Critical High Indicators Trigger DeDefinfinititioionsns eMeMsasaruree1 eMeMsasaruree22 …… Indicators Trigger DeDefinfinititioionsns eMeMsasaruree1 eMeMsasaruree22 …… Indicators Trigger DeDefinfinititioionsns eMeMsasaruree1 eMeMsasaruree22 …… Indicators Trigger DeDefinfinititioionsns eMeMsasaruree1 eMeMsasaruree22 …… Indicators Trigger DeDefinfinititioionsns DDefifin ded measure brbreaeachcheses ttririggggerer popoinintt, ee g.g., nnumumbeberr ofof ununrereququesestetedd ovovererdrdrafaftsts bbrereacachehess 1010 pperer mmononthth. TTriigger alalerertt babasesedd onon ssevevereritityy. Medium PPrPrPrevevevenenentitititiveveve AAAA tctctctiioioionnn 1111 PPrPrevevenentititiveve AAA tctctiioionn 222 PrPrPrevevevenenentititiveveve AAActctctioioionnn 333 Asset/Loan Creation & Capture Asset/Loan Servicing & Monitoring Asset/Loan Closure Figure 7
- 8. cognizant 20-20 insights 8 EWS Framework Sample Data Points Inputs Output Type Indicator Measure Critical Severity Criteria High Severity Criteria Medium Severity Criteria Preventive Measures (Examples) Financial Customer’s credit worthiness More necessity for guaranteed payments to creditors (i.e., letters of credit or bank checks). Greater than 100 per month Between 10 and 100 per month Less than 10 per month Do not give fresh loans to the customer. Behavioral Trust and credibility Any deception, misrepresentation or lie (This is a clear and strong warning sign). More than five instances Between two and five instances Less than two instances Consult with account manager and start reducing the customer’s credit line. Geographic Economic growth Sustained YOY decline in economic growth of the region. Three years continuous decline Two years continuous decline One year continuous decline Reduce exposure in financial instruments of the region, e.g., sell the government bonds. Industry Industrial growth rate Consistent YOY less than expected growth rate in the Asset industry. Three years continuous decline Two years continuous decline One year continuous decline Reduce exposure in the asset segment. Perception Recall of sold products Multiple YOY recall of goods already sold to customers due to hazardous defect detection. Three or more instances Between one and two instances One instance of recall Consult with account manager and start reducing the customer’s credit line. Figure 8 must be defined to generate appropriate warnings. >> Preventive action definition: Define pre- ventive actions to be taken, based on the severity level of warning, in the event that warnings are generated. 2. Monitoring and generating preventive actions: This phase runs in parallel with asset servicing, and monitors the day-to-day events and activities recorded against the asset. Based on the defined criteria in Phase 1, when a measure breaches the defined trigger point, the system generates an appropriate warning and offers a recommendation for preventive action to be taken to mitigate the risk emanating from the warning. In the example discussed above, if a critical warning is generated, the system would generate a preventive action; for example, a recommendation to increase the collateral position against the asset. 3. Early warning removal: Once the asset reaches its maturity, the early warning criteria defined against it would be removed. This would happen at the time of asset closure. Looking Ahead It is a challenge for banks to assess pre-default identification of high-risk customers. To do so, they must transform their processes quickly and comprehensively, and develop a system for effectively monitoring risky accounts. This means gradually reengineering business processes from “quarterly or annual” monitoring to a continuous, “day-on-day” or “event-based” monitoring mode. Banks’ IT systems must also evolve to address more automated monitoring and mitigation, and reduce manual triggering. These steps will act as building blocks in establishing a robust early warning system that helps banks to substantially reduce the number of non-performing assets.
- 9. About Cognizant Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process out- sourcing services, dedicated to helping the world’s leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over 75 development and delivery centers worldwide and approximately 178,600 employees as of March 31, 2014, Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant. World Headquarters 500 Frank W. Burr Blvd. Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA Phone: +1 201 801 0233 Fax: +1 201 801 0243 Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277 Email: inquiry@cognizant.com European Headquarters 1 Kingdom Street Paddington Central London W2 6BD Phone: +44 (0) 20 7297 7600 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7121 0102 Email: infouk@cognizant.com India Operations Headquarters #5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road Okkiyam Pettai, Thoraipakkam Chennai, 600 096 India Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000 Fax: +91 (0) 44 4209 6060 Email: inquiryindia@cognizant.com © Copyright 2014, Cognizant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission from Cognizant. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. About the Authors Tushar Rastogi is a Senior Consultant with Cognizant Business Consulting. He has nine years of experience in consulting, multi-country banking transformations, and business development in the areas of wholesale and transaction banking. He holds an MBA from S P Jain School of Global Management, Dubai-Singapore, and a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Delhi. He can be reached at Tushar.Rastogi@Cognizant.com. Swati Sharma is a Business Analyst with Cognizant Business Consulting. She has over four years of experience in consulting, multi-country banking product implementations, trade finance operations and relationship management. She holds an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Pune. She can be reached at Swati.Sharma2@Cognizant.com. Footnotes 1 Peter Gatere, Central Bank of Kenya. The Early Warning System. September, 2010. https://www.eastafritac.org/images/uploads/documents_storage/Early_Warning_System-Gatere.pdf. 2 McKinsey & Company. First Mover Matters – Building credit monitoring for competitive advantage. October, 2012. http://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/dotcom/client_service/Risk/Working%20 papers/37Credit_Monitoring_for_Competitive_Advantage.ashx. 3 Ibid. 4 Tommy M. Onich, CCH Group. May-June, 2010. www.turnaroundinternational.com/ProblemLoans.pdf. 5 E & Y. Turn Risks and Opportunities into Results. January, 2013. http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Industries/ Consumer-Products/Turn-risk-and-opportunities-into-results--Retail-sector---The-top-10-risks. 6 McKinsey & Company. First Mover Matters – Building credit monitoring for competitive advantage. October, 2012. http://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/dotcom/client_service/Risk/Working%20 papers/37_Credit_Monitoring_for_Competitive_Advantage.ashx.