Claude Project: Build a Credit Policy Assistant for Your Bank

What This Builds

Instead of starting every credit memo in a blank Claude conversation, you'll build a persistent Claude Project pre-loaded with your bank's credit policy, memo template, approval authority matrix, and preferred writing style. Every conversation in the Project starts from that shared context. Claude drafts policy-compliant memos, flags exceptions, and applies consistent formatting without you having to re-explain your bank's standards every time.

Prerequisites

• Comfortable using Claude for credit memo drafting (Level 3)
• Claude Pro subscription ({{tool:Claude.price}}/month): Sign up
• Access to your bank's credit policy (or relevant sections)
• Your standard credit memo template (Word document)
• Your approval authority matrix (who can approve what amounts)

The Concept

A Claude Project is like having a new credit analyst who already read your entire credit policy manual before their first day. You configure the Project once with your bank's guidelines, and then every conversation in that Project starts from that foundation. Ask it to draft a memo for a $3M CRE loan and it already knows your bank's LTV limits, DSCR minimums, required memo sections, and preferred language. It won't write a recommendation that violates your policy without flagging it.

Build It Step by Step

Part 1: Create the Project

1. Log into claude.ai and look for Projects in the left sidebar (below your conversation history). Click New Project.

2. Give it a clear name: "[Your Bank Name] Credit Policy Assistant"

3. You'll see a project workspace with a Project Instructions section (sometimes called "System Prompt" or "Custom Instructions"). This is where you configure Claude's baseline knowledge.

Part 2: Write Your Project Instructions

Click Edit Project Instructions (or the pencil icon next to "Project knowledge"). This is the most important step: write clear instructions that Claude will follow in every conversation.

Copy and customize this template:

You are a commercial credit analyst assistant for [Bank Name], a community bank in [location].

## Your Role
Help commercial loan officers draft credit memos, analyze financial data, and ensure compliance with bank policy. You draft — the loan officer reviews, adds financial analysis, and takes responsibility for the final product.

## Our Credit Policy Highlights
[Paste the most important sections from your credit policy here, including:]

DSCR Requirements:
- Minimum DSCR: [X]x for most commercial loans
- Minimum DSCR for hospitality/restaurant: [X]x
- Global cash flow DSCR must include all debt obligations

LTV Limits:
- Owner-occupied CRE: [X]%
- Investment CRE: [X]%
- Equipment: [X]%
- C&I unsecured: [loan limits]

Concentration Limits:
- Single borrower limit: $[X]M
- Industry concentration limit: [X]% of portfolio
- CRE concentration threshold: [X]% of capital

Prohibited Industries (we do not lend to):
- [List any prohibited sectors, e.g., cannabis, firearms, adult entertainment]

## Credit Memo Format
Our credit memos use this structure in order:
1. Transaction Summary (deal structure, amount, rate, term, collateral)
2. Business Overview (history, operations, markets, employees)
3. Management Assessment (owner/management experience and depth)
4. Industry Analysis (market conditions, competitive landscape, risks)
5. Financial Analysis (placeholder — loan officer writes this section with actual spread data)
6. Collateral Analysis (collateral description, value, LTV)
7. Risk Factors and Mitigants (primary risks, each with a mitigant)
8. Recommendation (approve/decline/refer with supporting rationale)

## Writing Style
- Professional but not overly legalistic
- Active voice, clear sentences
- No jargon that committee members without banking backgrounds wouldn't understand
- Risk factors should be specific to the deal, not generic boilerplate
- Recommendation paragraph should be 2-3 sentences: credit decision, rationale, key conditions

## When to Flag Policy Exceptions
If any deal parameter appears to exceed policy (DSCR below minimum, LTV above limit, prohibited industry), clearly state: "⚠️ POLICY NOTE: [specific exception] — This exceeds our standard policy. A policy exception memo will be required."

## What You Don't Do
- Don't write the Financial Analysis section — this requires actual spread data from the officer
- Don't make the final credit decision — you draft, the officer decides
- Don't cite external sources unless asked — focus on the deal data provided

Click Save when done.

Part 3: Upload Reference Documents

In the Project workspace, look for Add to Project or an attachment icon. Upload these files:

1. Your credit memo template (Word or PDF)
2. Your approval authority matrix
3. Any industry-specific underwriting guidelines your bank uses (e.g., SBA lender guide, agricultural lending policy)

Claude will be able to reference these documents in every Project conversation.

Part 4: Test the Project

Start a new conversation inside the Project (click New Chat within the Project). Paste this test prompt:

New deal for testing: $850K equipment loan to Acme Pest Control Services LLC, 6 years operating, pest control and termite services, suburban Dallas. Annual revenue $1.1M, DSCR 1.27x, collateral: pest control equipment and vehicles (estimated $320K). Owner David Kowalski, 22 years in industry. Recommend approval.

Please draft sections 1-4 and 6-8. Leave section 5 (Financial Analysis) blank with a placeholder.

What good output looks like: A complete credit memo draft in your bank's format, with a Policy Note if the equipment value ($320K) creates LTV concerns relative to the loan amount ($850K), and a recommendation that includes appropriate conditions.

Part 5: Test and Refine

Ask follow-up questions to verify the Project is working correctly:

• "What's our minimum DSCR for a restaurant loan?" (should cite your policy)
• "Is pest control a prohibited industry at our bank?" (should check your prohibited list)
• "What LTV limit applies to this equipment loan?" (should reference your equipment LTV policy)

Fix any inaccuracies by editing the Project Instructions with corrected information.

Real Example: The Full Workflow

Setup: You've configured the Project with your bank's credit policy. It's Tuesday morning and you have three memos due Thursday.

Input (Deal 1): "New C&I deal: $450K line of credit to Blue River Landscaping LLC. 8 years operating, $780K revenue, DSCR 1.19x. Collateral: blanket lien on business assets plus personal guarantee. Please draft the memo."

Output: Claude drafts the memo per your bank's template and flags: "⚠️ POLICY NOTE: Proposed DSCR of 1.19x falls below our minimum 1.20x standard. A policy exception memo will be required if you wish to proceed."

Time saved: You didn't have to re-read the credit policy, re-explain your memo format, or catch the DSCR exception yourself.

Input (Deal 2, same session, different conversation): "New SBA 7(a) deal: $1.2M for business acquisition of Riverside Auto Detailing..."

The Project remembers your bank's context across deals. No re-setup needed.

What to Do When It Breaks

• Claude misquotes your policy → Go back to Project Instructions and correct the specific section. Be explicit: "Our minimum DSCR is 1.25x, not 1.20x as I previously wrote."
• Memo format doesn't match our template → Upload your actual template as a file and add an instruction: "Always follow the exact section order in the uploaded memo template."
• Claude flags wrong industries as prohibited → Clarify the prohibited list in instructions with specific industry names/NAICS codes.
• Project loses context on long deals → Start a new conversation within the Project for each new loan. Don't continue the same conversation across multiple unrelated deals.

Variations

• Simpler version: Instead of uploading your full credit policy, paste just the key parameters (DSCR minimums, LTV limits, prohibited industries). That gets you 90% of the benefit with 10% of the setup time.
• Extended version: Create separate Projects for different loan types (CRE Project, SBA Project, C&I Project), each loaded with loan-type-specific underwriting standards.

What to Do Next

• This week: Share the Project with your team. Multiple loan officers can use the same Project for consistency.
• This month: Add your most common loan type examples as reference files so Claude can match the style of your best credit memos
• Advanced: Connect to your LOS data export so deal data can be pasted in structured format rather than typed manually

Advanced guide for commercial loan officer professionals. Claude Projects require a paid subscription.