Once the credit information is accumulated the subsequent step is to analyze the gathered information and isolate those matters that may need further investigation. The factors which affect the extent and nature of credit investigation are given as:
- Category of customer, whether new or existing
- The customer's background, business line and the related trade risks
- The nature of products-perishable or seasonal
- The size of the customer's demand and expected additional volume of business with him or her
- Company's credit practices and policies
- Capacity: Capacity refers to the capability of the buyer to pay the due on time and is generally judged through the past turnover and the repayment behaviour
- Character: Character considers as the willingness of the buyer to pay. The character of the buyer is usually judged by his or her past record of payments and default history if any.
- Collateral: it implies that the security against the credit granted to customers. A buyer willing to furnish sufficient collateral is judged as more creditworthy as compared to buyers who are not capable to furnish any collateral.
- Conditions: this is here referring to the sensitivity of the buyer to common economic environment.