Why add records questions to an annual loan review?
The annual review already asks about operations, staffing, systems and plans, so a few extra questions about records fit naturally. Answers tell you whether a borrower sits on years of connected operating history that could be licensed, without you seeing or handling any of it. The goal is a permissioned conversation, not a sales pitch.
Bank policy comes first. Many banks limit outside compensation and third-party arrangements, so ask compliance whether you may take part in any partner program before using these questions to start a referral. Nothing on this page says a bank employee may accept a reward. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own compliance team before acting.
The checklist
Ask these questions as part of normal discussion, not as a form. Write the answers in your own call notes, in the borrower's words, with no attachments.
Operating history
- How many years has the company run on its current model, and which years are fully documented?
- Has it done an acquisition, merger or large system change that left old archives behind?
- Is anyone planning to retire a major system in the next 12 to 24 months?
Systems
- Which systems run sales, finance, support, engineering and operations?
- Roughly how many tools does the leadership team consider core?
- Which older systems were turned off but not deleted?
Ownership and rights
- Who is the senior person responsible for company records or IT?
- Does the company create most of its own records, or mainly hold records on behalf of clients?
- Do customer contracts say anything about reuse of data?
Appetite
- Has leadership discussed one-time income that does not need new hiring?
- Would the owner want to hear how other companies are approaching their records?
- Who would have to approve a licensing decision?
How do you read the answers?
| Answer pattern | What it means | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Many systems, long history, owner interested | Possible fit | Offer a permission check email |
| Few systems, short history | Probably below the baseline | Stop; make no mention of licensing |
| Records mostly belong to clients | Rights problem | Do not proceed unless clients consent |
| Mostly consumer or medical data | Likely red flag | Do not proceed |
| Records already licensed for AI training | Not available | Close the topic |
| Owner not interested | No fit today | Note the answer and move on |
The baseline in who qualifies is the yardstick: 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the data and an authorized sponsor.
Which red flags end the conversation?
- The records belong to someone else, such as an outsourcer's clients, without consent.
- The data is mainly consumer personal data with no licensing basis, or mainly protected health information.
- The archives were deleted, or a court, trustee or assignee controls the assets.
- The company has under the baseline headcount at peak.
- The owner will not consider an exclusive license for AI training for an agreed term.
- Nobody can export the data.
How do you turn a yes into an introduction?
- Note the owner's agreement to hear more, dated, in your own file.
- Send the permission email from the commercial banker introduction templates.
- After the owner agrees, introduce them using your referral link or the referral form; the introduction email builder helps prepare an owner-approved message.
- Step back. SourceX qualifies the company, the company completes a data inventory, price and terms are agreed, buyers review, and the deal closes only if the company signs.
Before the company talks to SourceX, they may want a mutual agreement on confidentiality; see the mutual NDA checklist. The inventory is metadata about systems, and the data inventory interview questions show what the company will be asked. If the borrower is moving to a new tenant or retiring tools, the Microsoft 365 retention policy checklist is a useful companion, and the handoff checklist for annual client reviews shows how to wrap up.
What to say if the borrower asks about your reward
Answer plainly and only after compliance has told you what is allowed. The program pays partners 25% of eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects, capped at $100,000 per referred company, after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee, and no reward is guaranteed. It is never deducted from what the company receives. Details are in the rewards page and the program terms.
When to skip this entirely
Skip it when the loan is in workout, the borrower is under stress and trust is thin, or when the conversation would feel like a sales call. Credit decisions, pricing and covenants never connect to the licensing topic.
Next step
Add three of these questions to your next review notes and see which borrowers stand out. For a borrower who qualifies, register as a partner after your compliance team confirms you may take part. Advisors who see similar companies in sale preparation can read the M&A advisors page.