
The Forensic Lender's Playbook: 57 Due Diligence Questions That Unmask Business Risks
When JPMorgan Chase’s top commercial banker Karen Wright approved a $12M loan to a seemingly solid Midwest manufacturer last quarter, her team’s 90-minute due diligence call uncovered what 18 months of financial statements hid—a looming supplier revolt and undisclosed patent litigation. This case exemplifies why elite US lenders now treat questioning as a surgical art. Here’s the ultimate 2025 due diligence framework, battle-tested across 300+ deals. I. Credit Interrogation: The 7 Make-or-Break Queries 1. The Debt Autopsy 2. The Guarantor Stress Test II. Operational Truth Serum: 5 Questions That Never Lie 1. The “Empty Parking Lot” Test 2. The Payroll Smoke Detector III. Financial X-Rays: Seeing Through Accounting Fog 1. The Receivables Reality Check 2. The EBITDA Laundromat IV. Industry-Specific...