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5 Ways to Pressure-Test Revenue Consistency Before Approving a Loan RETEST

5 Ways to Pressure-Test Revenue Consistency Before Approving a Loan

Quick analytics inside Excel can reveal whether a borrower��s revenue stream is growing, plateauing, or quietly slipping backward.

Before you greenlight a deal, run these revenue consistency tests on tax returns, bank statements, and accounting exports. Each one takes less than 10 minutes and gives your credit memo a defensible stance on top-line stability.

Credit analyst reviewing revenue charts on a laptop

1. Quarter-over-quarter heat map

Stack the last eight quarters of revenue in a simple matrix and apply conditional formatting. Sudden color swings flag customer churn or production hiccups that deserve a note in the memo.

2. Deposit concentration ratio

Divide the top five customers�� deposits by total deposits during the review window. Anything above 45% concentration indicates dependency risk and should trigger mitigants.

3. Rolling 90-day trailing average

Plot a rolling average line on top of monthly revenue. A downward slope over two consecutive 90-day windows warrants a sensitivity case in your approval package.

Spreadsheet showing colorful revenue analytics

4. Invoice aging trend

If 60-day aging buckets balloon compared to the prior year, it may signal looser credit terms or customer distress.

5. Sales tax remittance check

Compare reported revenue with sales-tax filings when available. Material gaps could hint at underreported revenue or accounting errors.

Document each test in your underwriting summary so committee members can see you pressure-tested the borrower��s revenue story from multiple angles.

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