Harvard Business School

9-291-026
Rev. October 29, 1993

Note on Bank Loans
Bank loans are a versatile source of funding for businesses. For example, these loans can be structured either as short- or long-term, fixed or floating rate, demand or with a fixed maturity, and secured or unsecured. While each potential borrower's business is unique, reasons to borrow generally include the purchase of assets including new fixed assets or entire businesses, repayment of obligations, raising of temporary or permanent capital, and the meeting of unexpected needs. Loan repayment generally comes from one of four sources: operations, turnover or liquidation of assets, refinancing, or capital infusion. This note describes traditional bank lending products, the role of the lending officer, credit evaluation, and the structuring of credit facilities and loan agreements. Specialized loan and credit products are described in Appendix A.

Traditional Commercial Bank Lending Products
While increased competition has forced banks to develop innovative credit facilities and financing techniques, traditional products, which include short-term, long-term, and revolving loans, continue to be the mainstay of commercial banking.
Short-Term Loans

Short-term loans, those with maturities of one year or less, comprise more than half of all commercial bank loans made. Seasonal lines of credit and special purpose loans are the most common short-term credit facilities. Their primary use is to finance working capital needs resulting from temporary build-ups of inventory and receivables. Reflecting their use, repayment of short-term loans typically comes from the routine conversion of current assets to cash. These loans may be either secured or unsecured. A seasonal line of credit is used by companies with seasonal sales cycles to finance periodic increases in current assets, such as