Questions a credit committee should ask before approving write-offs
Write-off packs move faster when the committee asks for evidence that already exists on the recovery desk — not for new theatre.
Write-off meetings often drift into storytelling: how hard the account was, how many calls were made, how unlikely further recovery seems. Those stories matter for customer treatment. They are not, by themselves, financial evidence.
Questions that change the pack
- Which aging band trigger was met, and on which reporting date?
- Who authorized the last escalation before charge-off, and where is that approval stored?
- If an agency held the account, when was it recalled and what balance was confirmed?
- How will subsequent recoveries be identified so they do not sit in suspense?
- Does the allowance model already assume this band’s loss rate, or is the charge-off a surprise?
Why auditors care
In a write-off policy review we sample recent charge-offs against those questions. Gaps usually cluster in approval storage and agency recall timing — not in the committee’s willingness to be “tough.” Cleaning the pack format often reduces debate time more than rewriting the entire policy.
If your next committee cycle needs a short independent letter, see our write-off policy review.