§ 1491 Bank Loan Security Restrictions
This law stops banks from giving certain loans unless they meet specific cash and size limits.
A bank wants to lend $400,000 to a small business, but the loan would be larger than the limit set by the law.
Because the loan would be more than 25% of the bank’s total equity plus other capital items, the bank cannot make the loan under this rule.
Maximum loan amount = 0.25 × (Shareholders’ equity + Allowance for loan losses + Capital notes + Debentures)
A bank has $12 million in shareholders’ equity, $0.8 million in allowance for loan losses, $1.2 million in capital notes, and $3 million in debentures.
Result: The bank may lend up to $4,200,000 (0.25 × (12,000,000 + 800,000 + 1,200,000 + 3,000,000) = 0.25 × 17,000,000 = 4,250,000).
AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.
§ 1491 Bank Loan Security Restrictions
Last verified: January 11, 2026