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The top lending & credit risk blogs of the year

Mary Ellen Biery
December 15, 2025
0 min read
Man analyzing papers and screen

Popular short takes & downloadable resources for lenders & credit analysts 

These blogs and downloadable resources were the most popular lending and credit risk content this year. Created by Abrigo's team, which includes former bankers, regulators, and industry experts, the pieces help keep thousands of banking staff informed and working more efficiently.

Current topics, evergreen issues are among most popular lending and credit blogs 

Lenders and credit professionals faced another demanding year in 2025 as they worked to grow portfolios, manage concentration risk, and adapt to economic uncertainty and competitive pressure.

The following top lending and credit risk blogs of 2025 reflect the top concerns of lenders and credit analysts: managing complex loans, streamlining underwriting, and keeping pace with artificial intelligence. They highlight practical strategies for navigating a fast-changing market with confidence.

The top lending- and credit-related resources produced by Abrigo are also below. They include information on how to be a data-driven lender, improve credit presentations, and other relevant topics.

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Click the header next to each number to visit the corresponding top blog post.

How a policy on credit exceptions can clarify lending risk

Credit exceptions that aren’t consistently tracked or cleared can obscure trouble that might be ahead in the loan portfolio. This blog explains how to define and categorize exceptions and how a dedicated policy can improve clarity for credit administration, auditors, and examiners.

AI use cases in banking: A roadmap to smarter decisions and stronger outcomes

AI tools are reshaping how financial institutions work across the entire lending lifecycle, including underwriting, loan review, fraud detection, and customer support. This blog outlines where predictive and generative AI are already being used—and how to align these tools with risk and compliance goals..

Trends in commercial real estate (CRE) lending and risk

CRE risk remains a top concern for credit teams. This post outlines recent CRE origination and refinancing data, highlights delinquency risks in office and multifamily, and shares guidance for stress testing and pricing in a changing rate environment.

Writing effective credit memos efficiently

Clear, concise credit memos are key to strong credit decisions and portfolio oversight. This blog offers practical tips for structuring credit memos that support sound loan decisions, focusing on what information matters most to reviewers and how to communicate repayment sources, risk, and rationale without unnecessary detail.

The case for complex credit: A framework for simplifying challenging loans

Many institutions avoid complicated deals, but complexity doesn’t always equal risk. This post provides a framework for identifying volatility and correlation drivers, as well as separating key risks from triggers, to enhance analysis and structure.

How to speed up underwriting for small business loans

With growing interest in small business lending, this blog breaks down how institutions are using decisioning software and workflow tools to streamline underwriting, segment exposure, and improve turnaround time without removing the human judgment of credit analysis.

4 criteria when assessing a modern-day loan origination system

This post’s enduring popularity speaks to the ongoing search for LOS platforms that balance user experience, integration, and long-term scalability. Explore vendor-agnostic tips for evaluating key areas of consideration when choosing a loan origination system: ease of integration, configurability, long-term support, and vendor alignment with FI goals.

Tariff impacts on banks & credit unions: Navigating uncertainty

Trade policy changes and inflation added pressure to lending and liquidity in 2025. This blog explores how shifting trade policy and inflation are affecting ag lending, CRE, and liquidity. It also includes guidance on adjusting stress testing and risk strategies in response to global and local developments.

10 top banking podcasts you should be listening to

Keeping up with industry trends can be hard with so many demands at work. This roundup highlights 10 regularly updated podcasts for banking professionals, covering topics like lending trends, compliance, credit strategy, and digital transformation. Discover helpful resources for staying connected to the industry between conferences and meetings.

The risks and opportunities ahead for banking: Insights from ThinkBIG

Here are the key takeaways from Abrigo’s ThinkBIG 2025 conference, as surfaced by the nearly 1,000 bankers and industry experts who attended. Uncertainty over regulations, the impact of fraud on small businesses, and AI opportunities to reduce “the grind” were among the common themes that speakers and attendees said will shape the coming quarters.

Top resources related to lending and credit risk

Lenders, credit analysts, and risk managers also relied on Abrigo’s whitepapers, checklists, infographics, and guides to navigate complexity in 2025. Competitive loan growth goals, regulatory pressures, and increased credit risk required institutions to operate with greater speed, precision, and consistency, and Abrigo produced resources to help. From checklists that support credit quality and policy compliance to whitepapers on AI, underwriting, and leadership challenges, these top resources of 2025 provided financial professionals with the tools and frameworks they needed to move forward with confidence. Here are the five most popular resources related to lending and credit risk. Elements of a quality credit presentation Strong credit presentations support sound decisions and clear communication. This guide walks through the key components of a well-structured credit presentation, including how to organize data, present risk factors, and connect analysis to repayment. Get ready to ramp up small business lending: Do this, not that How can financial institutions efficiently grow small business lending? Many financial institutions make the mistake of applying outdated commercial or consumer lending policies to small business loans, leading to inefficiencies and compliance risks. Read about what to prioritize and what to avoid when pursuing strategic growth in small-dollar loans. 10 moves that strengthen AI oversight and compliance As adoption of AI accelerates, compliance-minded financial institutions need a practical starting point. This whitepaper outlines key steps to align AI tools with risk governance frameworks, provides best practices for thorough documentation, and explains how to enhance related cybersecurity. 5 challenges lending leaders face—and how to address them This guide highlights the top concerns of modern lending leaders, including deposit growth and inconsistent underwriting, as well as inefficient technology and profitability challenges. The resource offers strategies for navigating challenges that can put growth goals at risk. Policy exceptions checklist: How credit unions can limit the noise to identify credit risk Too many credit exceptions can create the kind of “noise” that can make it hard to spot actual risk. This checklist and a similar exception checklist for banks will help institutions track, justify, and resolve exceptions more effectively. Learn how to support cleaner data, better reporting, and stronger portfolio management.

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This blog was developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI large language model. It was reviewed and revised by Abrigo's subject-matter expert for accuracy and additional insight
 

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About the Author

Mary Ellen Biery

Senior Strategist & Content Manager
Mary Ellen Biery is Senior Strategist & Content Manager at Abrigo, where she works with advisors and other experts to develop whitepapers, original research, and other resources that help financial institutions drive growth and manage risk. A former equities reporter for Dow Jones Newswires whose work has been published in

Full Bio

About Abrigo

Abrigo enables U.S. financial institutions to support their communities through technology that fights financial crime, grows loans and deposits, and optimizes risk. Abrigo's platform centralizes the institution's data, creates a digital user experience, ensures compliance, and delivers efficiency for scale and profitable growth.

Make Big Things Happen.