Ardmore Banking Advisors Helps Community Banks Satisfy 30-Day 'CRE Stress Test' Requirements

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- As the economic crisis lingers, banking regulators are applying additional pressure on institutions to conduct CRE (Commercial Real Estate) portfolio "stress-tests," a series of analyses that determine a bank's exposure to these volatile types of loans based on different variables and projections associated with their existing portfolio.  Some community banks are realizing they have to produce such stress test reports in less than two months' time.  

Many of these banks are not familiar enough with the process to implement a program in that timeframe on their own.  Yet if they fail to satisfactorily meet regulatory demands, depending on their overall credit profile, they may be in danger of being put under formal agreement with the regulators, or worse.  Ardmore Banking Advisors, Inc. has developed a consultative service, CREAssist QuickStart, which helps banks establish a stress testing program within 30 days.  

"It's important to help local banks assess risks in the marketplace.  These 'Main Street' institutions are vital to the local business economy," said Peter Cherpack, senior vice president and director, Credit Technology Solutions, Ardmore Banking Advisors.  "Ardmore Banking Advisors' deep expertise in credit and regulatory needs will help these banks establish their first CRE stress testing programs, even under tight deadlines."

"Ardmore Banking Advisors was a great help when we needed to quickly start with our CRE Stress Testing program," said Angela Kiel, manager, credit administration, Grand Bank, Hamilton, NJ.  "We used their CREAssist service, and I was able to complete the stress testing and write the report in time for my regulatory review, which was a quick turnaround for us."  

In addition, Ardmore Banking Advisors is developing a series of free educational webinars on stress testing and other community banking issues, starting with an October 15 session, "The Evolution of CRE Portfolio Stress Testing -- Methods and Models." http://www.creditcentricstress.com/index.html

About Ardmore Banking Advisors

Ardmore Banking Advisors, Inc. has provided risk management and credit consulting services to hundreds of financial institutions since 1991. It provides loan review, risk management and credit consulting and technology services to multinational banks and other regional and community financial institutions from New York to Washington, D.C. and beyond.  For more information visit www.ardmoreadvisors.com or call us at (610) 649-4643.

SOURCE Ardmore Banking Advisors, Inc.