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Risk
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Balancing Caution and Opportunity in Underwriting
I have already examined key affordability measures like TDS, GDS, DCR, and LTI ratios. These metrics provide essential insights into a...
sknightrisk
Apr 291 min read
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Debt Coverage Ratios and Loan-to-Income Ratios
I recently explored Total Debt Service (TDS) and Gross Debt Service (GDS) ratios as key affordability measures in underwriting. These...
sknightrisk
Apr 152 min read
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Understanding Affordability Measures in Underwriting
Affordability measures are a cornerstone of responsible lending practices. In an environment where economic conditions fluctuate and...
sknightrisk
Mar 311 min read
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Stress Tests Based on Historical Financial Crisis Data
I recently revisited a book I’d read some time ago, This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly  by Carmen M. Reinhart and...
sknightrisk
Mar 112 min read
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The Stories We Tell: Risk, Markets, and What Never Changes
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how we make sense of risk—not just through data and models but through the stories we tell ourselves...
sknightrisk
Mar 42 min read
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Clawbacks in Ponzi Schemes: Even "Winners" Aren’t Safe
I’ve always been aware that payments made before a bankruptcy could be subject to clawbacks, but I didn’t realize that investors who...
sknightrisk
Feb 261 min read
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Cashflow: The Lifeblood of Credit
In the world of credit risk, Cashflow  is arguably the most important of the Five C’s. After all, the ability to repay a loan is the...
sknightrisk
Feb 223 min read
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Collateral: Not the most important C of Credit
When it comes to underwriting, collateral is often viewed as the safety net. It’s the backup plan—the asset that can be liquidated if a...
sknightrisk
Feb 181 min read
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Capacity: The Backbone of Consumer Lending
In consumer lending, the ability to repay a loan— Capacity —is the foundation of credit risk assessment. It’s not just about whether a...
sknightrisk
Feb 172 min read
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Character: The Most Important (and Elusive) C in Credit
In credit risk, numbers tell a story—but they don’t always tell the whole story. That’s why Character  has always been, in my view, the...
sknightrisk
Feb 102 min read
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Tariffs and the Loan Book: Preparing for the Ripple Effects
There’s been no shortage of analysis on the potential fallout of a trade war between Canada and the U.S. Many experts have weighed in on...
sknightrisk
Feb 62 min read
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Credit in Uncertain Times: Why Conditions Matter More Than Ever
The fundamentals of credit assessment don’t change, but the world around us does. Economic shifts, geopolitical tensions, and policy...
sknightrisk
Feb 32 min read
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Revisiting the Five C’s of Credit: A Timeless Framework
There’s something to be said for revisiting the basics. In an industry where AI-driven risk models and alternative data sources are...
sknightrisk
Feb 32 min read
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Maintaining Strong foundations in Risk Management
There’s a spot I love to sit and read—a comfy chair, a few books, maybe a podcast or two. Continuous learning has always been important...
sknightrisk
Jan 302 min read
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