§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits
This law sets limits on how much money a bank can lend to one person or company. It says the bank can't lend too much compared to its own money and safety funds.
A small business owner wants to borrow money from a bank to expand their store.
The bank checks how much money it has in its safety funds and can only lend up to 25% of that total to this one business owner.
Total Lending Limit = 25% × (Shareholders’ Equity + Allowance for Loan Losses + Capital Notes + Debentures)
A bank has $10 million in shareholders’ equity, $2 million in allowance for loan losses, $1 million in capital notes, and $1 million in debentures.
Result: Total = $10M + $2M + $1M + $1M = $14M. The bank can lend up to 25% of $14M, which is $3.5M to one person or company. If the loan is unsecured, the limit is $2.1M (15% of $14M).
AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.
§ 1481 Bank Lending Limits
Last verified: January 11, 2026