Commercial Loan Underwriter

A Commercial Loan Underwriter measures risk and reward in reference to loans or insurance. Commercial Loan Underwriters are the people who decide whether to approve a loan or insurance application involving a business.

When a business requests a loan from a bank or credit union, the application is sent to you. Your job as Commercial Loan Underwriter is to evaluate the business’s ability to repay the loan. To do this, you research the business’s property values, revenue, payroll, and assets. Has the business made progressively less money for each of the last five years? Do they have an extreme amount of debt? These questions and many more help develop a complete picture of the business. You make the decision as to whether granting the loan is a profitable move for your company (usually a bank).

Another job filled by the Commercial Loan Underwriter is to assess whether a business is a good candidate for insurance coverage. You evaluate the condition of the business—both financially and physically. You send an Inspector to verify the information on the application. Is the building in good condition? Are the employees treated fairly? You need to weigh the potential for paying a claim to cover a material spill, building fire, or employee injury. If the investigation shows a propensity for any of these things, you decline the request.

This job requires strong decision-making, communication, and problem-solving skills. Since every decision is based on policy after policy, you need the ability to focus on every detail.