Exam 27: Providing and Obtaining Credit

You need to borrow $25,000 for one year. Your bank offers to make the loan, and it offers you three choices: (1) 15 percent simple interest, annual compounding; (2) 13 percent nominal interest, daily compounding (360-day year); (3) 9 percent add-on interest, 12 end-of-month payments. The first two loans would require a single payment at the end of the year, the third would require 12 equal monthly payments beginning at the end of the first month. What is the difference between the highest and lowest effective annual rates?

The uncollected balances schedule is constructed at the end of a quarter by dividing the dollar amount of remaining receivables from each month in that quarter by that month's sales.

The percentage aging schedule of accounts receivable is the most robust way to see if customers are, on average, paying more slowly, because it is unaffected by seasonal changes in sales.

Berkeley Prints expects to have sales this year of $15 million under its current credit policy. The present terms are net 30; the days dales outstanding (DSO) is 60 days; and the bad debt loss percentage is 5 percent. Also, Berkeley's cost of capital is 15 percent, and its variable costs total 60 percent of sales. Since Berkeley wants to improve its profitability, a proposal has been made to offer a 2 percent discount for payment within 10 days; that is, change the credit terms to 2/10, net 30. The consultants predict that sales would increase by $500,000, and that 50 percent of all customers would take the discount. The new DSO would be 30 days, and the bad debt loss percentage on all sales would fall to 4 percent. -What would be the incremental bad debt losses if the change were made?

The collection process, although sometimes difficult, is also expensive in terms of out-of-pocket expenses.

You have just taken out a loan for $75,000. The stated (simple) interest rate on this loan is 10 percent, and the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 15 percent of the initial face amount of the loan. You currently have $20,000 in your checking account, and you plan to maintain this balance. The loan is an add-on installment loan which you will repay in 12 equal monthly installments, beginning at the end of the first month. -How large are your monthly payments?

Credit standards refer to the financial strength and importance of a potential customer to the firm required in order to qualify for credit.

DSO analysis of accounts receivable is the most robust way to see if customers are, on average, paying more slowly, because it is unaffected

Which of the following statements is most correct?

East Lansing Appliances (ELA) expects to have sales this year of $15 million under its current credit policy. The present terms are net 30; the days sales outstanding (DSO) is 60 days; and the bad debt loss percentage is 5 percent. Since ELA wants to improve its profitability, the treasurer has proposed that the credit period be shortened to 15 days. This change would reduce expected sales by $500,000, but it would also shorten the DSO on the remaining sales to 30 days. Expected bad debt losses on the remaining sales would fall to 3 percent. The variable cost percentage is 60 percent, and the cost of capital is 15 percent. -What would be the incremental bad losses if the change were made?

The primary reason to monitor aggregate accounts receivable is to see if customers, on average, are paying more slowly.

You have just taken out a loan for $75,000. The stated (simple) interest rate on this loan is 10 percent, and the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 15 percent of the initial face amount of the loan. You currently have $20,000 in your checking account, and you plan to maintain this balance. The loan is an add-on installment loan which you will repay in 12 equal monthly installments, beginning at the end of the first month. -Suppose you borrow $2,000 from a bank for one year at a stated annual interest rate of 14 percent, with interest prepaid (a discounted loan). Also, assume that the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 20 percent of the initial loan value. What effective annual interest rate are you being charged?

Judy's Fashions, Inc. purchases supplies from a single supplier on terms of 1/10, net 20. Currently, Judy takes the discount, but she believes she could extend the payment to 40 days without any adverse effects if she decided not to take the discount. Judy needs an additional $50,000 to support an expansion of fixed assets. This amount could be raised by making greater use of trade credit or by arranging a bank loan. The banker has offered to loan the money at 12 percent discount interest. Additionally, the bank requires an average compensating balance of 20 percent of the loan amount. Judy already has a commercial checking account at this bank which could be counted toward the compensating balance, but the required compensating balance amount is twice the amount that Judy would otherwise keep in the account. Which of the following statements is most correct?

You have just taken out a loan for $75,000. The stated (simple) interest rate on this loan is 10 percent, and the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 15 percent of the initial face amount of the loan. You currently have $20,000 in your checking account, and you plan to maintain this balance. The loan is an add-on installment loan which you will repay in 12 equal monthly installments, beginning at the end of the first month. -Assume you borrow $12,000 from the bank using a 10.19 percent "add-on", one-year installment loan, payable in four equal quarterly payments. What is the effective annual rate of interest?

The credit period is the amount of time it takes to do a credit search on a potential customer.

A firm's credit policy consists of which of the following items?

Berkeley Prints expects to have sales this year of $15 million under its current credit policy. The present terms are net 30; the days dales outstanding (DSO) is 60 days; and the bad debt loss percentage is 5 percent. Also, Berkeley's cost of capital is 15 percent, and its variable costs total 60 percent of sales. Since Berkeley wants to improve its profitability, a proposal has been made to offer a 2 percent discount for payment within 10 days; that is, change the credit terms to 2/10, net 30. The consultants predict that sales would increase by $500,000, and that 50 percent of all customers would take the discount. The new DSO would be 30 days, and the bad debt loss percentage on all sales would fall to 4 percent. -What would be the cost to Berkeley of the discounts taken?

You have just taken out a loan for $75,000. The stated (simple) interest rate on this loan is 10 percent, and the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 15 percent of the initial face amount of the loan. You currently have $20,000 in your checking account, and you plan to maintain this balance. The loan is an add-on installment loan which you will repay in 12 equal monthly installments, beginning at the end of the first month. -Wentworth Greenery harvests its crops four times annually and receives payment for its crop 90 days after it is picked and shipped. However, the firm must plant, irrigate, and harvest on a near continual schedule. The firm uses 90-day bank notes to finance its operations. The firm arranges an 11 percent discount interest loan with a 20 percent compensating balance four times annually. What is the effective annual interest rate of these discount loans?

When deciding whether to offer a discount for cash payment, a firm must balance the profits from additional sales with the lost revenues from the discount.

You have just taken out a loan for $75,000. The stated (simple) interest rate on this loan is 10 percent, and the bank requires you to maintain a compensating balance equal to 15 percent of the initial face amount of the loan. You currently have $20,000 in your checking account, and you plan to maintain this balance. The loan is an add-on installment loan which you will repay in 12 equal monthly installments, beginning at the end of the first month. -XYZ Company needs to borrow $200,000 from its bank. The bank has offered the company a 12-month installment loan (monthly payments) with 9 percent add-on interest. What is the effective annual rate (EAR) of this loan?