Nonaccrual Loan

Loan having a payment that is more than 90 days overdue.

Author: Osman Ahmed
Osman Ahmed
Osman Ahmed
Investment Banking | Private Equity

Osman started his career as an investment banking analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners where he spent just over two years before moving into a growth equity investing role at Scale Venture Partners, focused on technology. He's currently a VP at KCK Group, the private equity arm of a middle eastern family office. Osman has a generalist industry focus on lower middle market growth equity and buyout transactions.

Osman holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Reviewed By: Adin Lykken
Adin Lykken
Adin Lykken
Consulting | Private Equity

Currently, Adin is an associate at Berkshire Partners, an $16B middle-market private equity fund. Prior to joining Berkshire Partners, Adin worked for just over three years at The Boston Consulting Group as an associate and consultant and previously interned for the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Senate.

Adin graduated from Yale University, Magna Cum Claude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics.

Last Updated:November 27, 2023

What is a Nonaccrual Loan?

Nonaccrual loans are easily categorized as impaired loans because they are naturally nonaccrual. They are also referred to as sour loans, troubled loans, and questionable loans.

According to the Federal Reserve, a nonaccrual loan is maintained on a cash basis due to deterioration in the borrower's financial position, for which full payment of interest or principal is not anticipated.

Or for which principal or interest has been in default for 90 days or longer unless it is both well secured and in the collection process.

Mortgage, bank, commercial, and industrial loans are nonaccrual loans. In addition, the nonaccrual status may be reached concerning leases, debt securities, and other assets.

Typically, the lender converts it to a cash basis and can no longer charge interest on the loan, resulting in a loss of income. The loan, at this point, is categorized as non-performing and has been reported to the major credit reporting agencies.

How a Nonaccrual Loan Works

When a principal or interest payment is 90 days or more past due or when full payment of principal or interest is not anticipated, a loan becomes a nonaccrual loan.

A nonaccrual loan is shown in the following example. Suppose you have no collateral to use as security for a mortgage loan and have been in default for more than 90 days. The loan will be reported by the bank and moved to nonaccrual status.

This will probably hurt your credit score because payment history is a factor in determining an individual's credit score.

It is common practice to stop a loan from accruing income by placing it in a nonaccrual state when it ages, and it becomes clear that it will not be collectible.

If it is decided that the loan cannot be repaid, the loan asset is then written off. For example, a bank typically puts a loan into nonaccrual status when it is 60 to 90 days past due and charges it off when it is more than 90 days past due.

Any accrued income will be held in separate general ledger accounts specified by general ledger controls when a loan is placed in a nonaccrual state. 

Included in this are late fees and other fees that are no longer counted as earned income and may no longer generate income from amortized fees.

When a loan is charged off, the accruals for that specific loan are removed from the general ledger. Then, depending on the circumstances, the principal balance is either removed from the asset account using a write-off account or a loan loss reserve account.

Non-performing loans vs. Nonaccrual loans 

Loans classified as non-performing include those for which the principal or interest has accumulated more than three months' worth of arrears and those for which they still need to do so.

A restructured loan may be exempt from being reported as a non-performing loan if certain requirements are met, the negotiated terms have been adhered to for more than six months, and the interest rate is not lower than the original loan rate.

Nevertheless, the loan must still be reported as such if the negotiated installment payments fall behind by at least three months while the exemption is in effect.

Loans and other credit extensions added to the account are nonaccrual loans. Six months after the end of the payment period, all the non-performing loans must be transferred to the nonaccrual loans account.

However, this requirement shall not apply to restructured loans performed by the agreement.

The aforementioned non-performing loans and loans with principal or interest that have been in arrears for less than three months are all considered "Loans Subject to Observation."

Nonaccrual Loan Process

When determining if an asset needs to be reported as entering a nonaccrual status, lenders refer to the guidelines established by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC).

A loan will be placed on the nonaccrual status by a lender if it satisfies one of the following requirements:

1. Due to the borrower's financial deterioration, the bank decides to maintain the loan on a cash basis. Therefore, it is not anticipated that the principal or interest will be paid in full.

2. There has been a default on principal or interest for 90 days unless the asset is well secured and in the collections process. 

According to the FDIC, a well-secured asset is backed by a pledge or lien on real or personal property that fully covers the debt or is guaranteed by a financially responsible third party.

Lenders can identify losses and assess the borrower's financial situation to determine the likelihood of repayment by putting a loan into nonaccrual status.

Although being in a nonaccrual status is bad for both banks and borrowers, it is reversible.

Consider the scenario where your mortgage loan is placed in nonaccrual status. If so, the bank may examine your financial situation and accept a troubled debt restructuring as a means of helping you pay off the debt.

You can make payments and eventually bring the loan back to accrual status by using troubled debt restructuring to modify and renegotiate the loan terms. For example, the TDR may lower interest rates, reduce principal, or postpone the loan's maturity date.

Changing the Nonaccrual Loan Status

A nonaccrual loan has a payment that is at least 90 days overdue. They don't accrue interest or bring in money for the lenders. These loans may have hurt your credit score and made it more difficult for you to get a loan.

After going into nonaccrual status, the borrower and lender can work together to devise a repayment strategy. To be restored to accrual status, a nonaccrual loan must satisfy one of the following conditions:

1. All accrued but unpaid interest and principal must have been paid to the bank, and the latter must now be reimbursed for the remainder of the loan term.

2. Even though the loan is not yet current, the borrower has resumed making all the required principal and interest payments per the loan's terms and has done so for the past six months. Therefore, the bank has a reasonable assurance of repayment.

3. A third choice entails the borrower giving the lender collateral to secure the loan, paying off the remaining balance within 30 to 90 days, and starting monthly payments again.

Each borrower and loan agreement is unique. 

The lender's policies, financial assessment of the borrower, the borrower's consistent repayment performance, and the restructuring agreement are a few variables that affect the likelihood of repayment and the restoration of accrual status.

Summary

A nonaccrual loan has a payment that is more than 90 days overdue. Loans that do not accrue interest do not generate revenue for the lending institution. 

Restarting the accrual of nonaccrual loans is possible through troubled debt restructuring or other repayment plans. 

For instance, the status of a loan can be changed from deferred to accrued if the borrower makes up any missed payments on principal, interest, or fees and then resumes making the standard monthly payments as outlined in the contract.

Non-revolving credit lines can hurt the credit score, which could come back to haunt people if they need additional financing.

Lenders look at the guidelines established by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council when attempting to determine if an asset needs to be reported as entering a nonaccrual status.

It is required that all loans that have yet to be properly repaid are required to be moved into the account for loans that are not accruing interest within six months of the end of the payment period.

Nonaccrual Loan FAQs

Researched and authored by Shriya ChapagainLinkedIn

Reviewed and edited by Purva AroraLinkedIn

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