Checking where the financial figures came from matters most to a credit analyst working with an agent, because every ratio and recommendation inherits their weakness. Then, in order: testing the drafted credit memo, giving reasons that trace to evidence, approving limit changes at depth 4, spotting drift as conditions change, and writing corrections that improve the agent.
What does an agent change in credit analysis?
Credit analysts spread financial statements, calculate ratios, assess management and market position, review security and write credit memos with a recommendation. Spreading and first-draft analysis take much of the time. An agent can extract figures from accounts, calculate ratios, compare against policy, pull bureau and account data, and draft the memo.
The analyst's time moves to judgement. The ranking below reflects how often each skill changes the recommendation, weighted by what is at stake when it does.
Which skills matter most, in order?
- Checking provenance of financials. Each figure carries a stamp: sealed (the lender's own account history), signed (audited accounts, a bureau report), declared (management accounts or the borrower's forecasts), external (a spreadsheet emailed by a broker). An analysis built on declared management accounts is a different thing from one built on audited statements. Analysts must see which and weigh accordingly.
- Testing the drafted memo. The agent's memo is coherent and complete. Analysts must check that the recommendation follows from the evidence, that adverse points are given proper weight, and that nothing material was dropped in summarising.
- Giving traceable reasons. Credit decisions about individuals need specific reasons in many markets; in the US, ECOA and Regulation B require them when credit is denied, including when a model is used. Under the EU AI Act, credit scoring of natural persons is high-risk. Even for business credit, reasons must trace to the file.
- Approving limit changes at depth 4. Agents may adjust limits within narrow bounds once certified. Analysts approve changes above those bounds and must check what triggered them.
- Spotting drift. Sector conditions, rates and borrower behaviour change. Drift is one of the seven Attest gates, but analysts often see it first in cases that feel different from last quarter.
- Banking corrections. When an analyst changes the agent's spread or recommendation, a one-line reason in the record lets builders fix the source or bound.
What does the agent do, and what stays with the analyst?
| The agent | The credit analyst |
|---|---|
| Spreads financials and calculates ratios | Checks figures that drive the outcome |
| Pulls bureau and account data | Judges management, market and security |
| Drafts the credit memo and recommendation | Writes the final recommendation |
| Adjusts limits within narrow certified bounds | Approves changes above bounds |
Credit controllers and fraud analysts rank skills differently; compare which skills matter most for credit controllers and which skills matter most for fraud analysts.
What does the top skill look like in a case?
Take a retail bank's small business lending team. A bakery chain applies for a 150,000 facility. The agent drafts a memo recommending approval: strong margins, interest cover of four times, growing revenue. The analyst opens the provenance panel. The prior year's figures come from audited accounts, signed. The latest year's, which drive the margin and growth, come from management accounts the borrower uploaded, declared, and they show margins well above any prior year.
The analyst asks for a bank statement history, which the bank holds as sealed data. Turnover through the account is flat. The management accounts had booked a one-off asset sale as revenue. The recommendation changes to a smaller facility with a covenant on audited accounts. The note goes to the builder: weight sealed turnover over declared revenue when they diverge.
Credit teams in Ireland and Australia work under the Central Bank of Ireland and APRA respectively; see credit analyst training in retail banking in Ireland and in consumer lending in Australia.
How should credit teams build these skills?
Start with provenance and memo testing, using past files where the outcome is known. Pair junior analysts with senior ones on agent drafts. Map skills across the team with the skills matrix template, and keep approval rights for depth 4 changes with those who have shown the skill. Certification such as the Operator track at Pryme Intelligence Academy gives a common baseline. The role map is in AI agent skills by role.
Questions people ask
Should analysts re-spread financials the agent has spread?
Not routinely. Check the figures that drive the recommendation, and anything resting on declared or external sources.
Can the agent approve small facilities?
Some lenders allow it within strict bounds for business credit, once certified. Decisions about individuals need the human involvement the rules require.
What if the agent's memo is better written than the analyst's?
Use it, but make the recommendation yours. The memo is a draft; the judgement is the analyst's.