Mr. John Trethowan:

I was asked what we do that the borrower did not do in the first place when he or she was looking for a loan. We are bankers, so we know what a bank is looking for in an application.

If it is not in the initial application and the bank has not asked for it, my reviewers would speak to a borrower on the phone or perhaps visit him or her. If a farm is involved, they might have a look at the farm, etc., in order to get a feel for the issue. Frequently, we find information that a bank would not have in an initial application, and that goes to the other aspect of what we do. If at any time a bank indicates it did not know about an asset but would have approved a loan if it did, we would withdraw from the process at that stage. Our objective is for the borrower to get credit and not for me to have a number on a sheet of paper. Once the potential borrower gets the credit he or she needs, either through a formal application or informal means, we are happy.