Master the fundamentals of consumer and retail lending credit analysis.
The Learning Path for a Consumer or Retail Lender is designed to strengthen a critical, high-impact capability in frontline lending: using tax returns to understand the real cash flow of individuals—especially self-employed borrowers whose income and repayment capacity rarely show up cleanly on a W-2. This path builds the practical fluency needed to interpret tax-driven income, identify sustainable cash flow, and recognize when reported earnings and true repayment ability are telling different stories.
The Primary Learning Path focuses specifically on tax return analysis for self-employed individuals, equipping lenders to translate key schedules and deductions into a clearer view of capacity. Rather than treating tax forms as documentation to "check the box," participants learn to use them as analytical tools—connecting business income dynamics, partnership distributions, and personal cash flow to the borrower's ability to repay.
The Secondary Learning Path supports credit career development by introducing commercial credit fundamentals and core accounting concepts that elevate overall credit judgment. For Consumer and Retail Lenders, this expands the "why" behind credit decisions: how businesses are structured, how financial statements are built, what ratios and non-financial factors signal strength or weakness, and how to spread statements consistently to support sound analysis and credit communication.
Upon successful completion of this Learning Path, the employee will be eligible to receive a Consumer Lender Certificate of Mastery.
Credits: 3 · Tax return analysis for self-employed borrowers
Credits: 9 · Commercial credit fundamentals and accounting