Commercial lending guide
Learn how lenders commonly look at cash flow, repayment, collateral, guarantor strength, and loan structure.
For the people behind the deal.
Small-business owners / Commercial real-estate investors
Tools for the work before
Know the pieces. Put them together.
A practical set of guides and worksheets turns commercial lending concepts into steps you can work through at your own pace.
Build the lending vocabulary
Underwriting calculators
Explore loan payments, DSCR, LTV, debt yield, sources and uses, existing debt, and rate sensitivity.
Try the DSCR calculatorLoan request templates
Organize the amount, purpose, repayment source, collateral, ownership, and financial highlights in one place.
Readiness & meeting checklists
Gather the information to prepare and think through questions before you sit down with a lender.
What a lender may review
The ratios matter. So does the whole story.
Every lender and transaction is different. RivetRatio helps you get acquainted with common parts of the review so you can organize your questions and information.
DSCR
LTV
Debt yield
Liquidity
- 01Cash flow
- The operating picture behind a potential source of repayment.
- 02DSCR
- How cash flow available for debt service compares with required payments.
- 03LTV
- Loan amount viewed in relation to the collateral value.
- 04Debt yield
- A property’s net operating income considered against the loan amount.
- 05Liquidity & global cash flow
- The broader financial context, resources, and obligations around a request.
- 06Collateral & structure
- The assets, terms, and repayment plan that shape a financing request.
A more prepared conversation
From unfamiliar terms to a clearer request.
Start with what you know about your business or property. Use the tools to make the financing picture easier to explain.
- STEP 01
Understand the lens
Get familiar with the information lenders commonly review.
- STEP 02
Work through the figures
Use practical calculators to organize key underwriting measures.
- STEP 03
Make the request clear
Bring the purpose, repayment, and supporting details into focus.
Before you ask the bank
Bring a clearer picture to the table.
Start preparing the request you already know you want to make. Questions about RivetRatio’s educational guides and tools? Get in touch.
RivetRatio provides education and preparation tools. It does not determine loan eligibility or guarantee approval. Lenders make their own decisions based on each borrower and transaction.