February 10, 2021
Collateral Coverage Ratio: What You Should Know
Now that we’ve defined collateral, let’s discuss the collateral coverage ratio. At its core, the collateral coverage ratio is the percentage of a loan that’s backed by a discounted asset. It allows lenders to figure out how much money they’d be willing to lend you.
Collateral Coverage Definition
To answer the question, “What is collateral coverage?” let’s briefly go over how financing works. Every time a lender issues a term loan, they take on a risk. Their goal, however, is to mitigate their risk as much as possible. With collateral, they can do just that. If you want to take out a small business loan, however, you won’t be able to offer any collateral. Your collateral must have a lower value than your loan. The collateral coverage refers to the percentage of your loan that’s backed by a discounted asset. A lower ratio means a higher risk for a lender and the potential need for a cosigner. On the contrary, a higher ratio equates to a lower risk for a lender. With a higher ratio, you may be able to borrow more money if you need to.Collateral Coverage Formula
Here is what the collateral coverage formula looks like: Collateral Coverage Ratio = Discounted Collateral Value / Total Loan AmountDiscounted Collateral Value
The way a lender views the value of the collateral you offer is referred to as the discounted collateral value. They will build in a “discount” for your asset’s depreciation or the fact that it will hold less value time. Wear and tear, outdated technology, and lower real estate values can all lead to depreciation. If a lender has to seize your asset, there’s a good chance it’s worth less than its estimated market value, which is why there's a discount. The discount depends on the details of the loan and will likely be based on:- Asset Type: Assets with values that are easier to verify are usually discounted less. Real estate, for example, will come with a lower discount than assets like inventory or furniture.
- Lender Type: Since banks are risk-averse, they are known to apply larger discounts than commercial lenders. Commercial lenders are often willing to take on more risk and may offer lower discounts as a result.
- Loan Type: With traditional installment loans that feature direct terms, it’s easy to figure out how much collateral is required. Cash advances and other types of credit that depend on invoice or purchase orders are known for higher discounts. This is because of the possibility of collection expenses.
Total Loan Amount
Total loan amount is the same as your loan principal or the amount of money you agreed to repay your lender. If you take out an amortizing loan with compound interest, don’t forget that you’ll have to pay off your interest before you repay your principal. This is important as this formula considers principal instead of interest. If you take out a loan for $80,000, for example, your total loan amount is equal to $80,000. If you pay off $20,000 in principal and $5,000 in interest after the first year, your total loan amount is $60,000.