In the current environment, lenders and banks may wish to be
supportive of their borrower clients who are looking to protect
cash flow. One way of doing that might be to allow the borrower to
capitalize interest (also referred to as Payment-In-Kind or PIK)
for a period of time. Here are ten things to think about when
considering a PIK arrangement.
If any security (guarantees, mortgages, hypothecs or otherwise)
is dollar limited, then as principal debt increases, ensure that
such limits are increased appropriately. In any case guarantors
should acknowledge the change to the credit.
Financial covenants may have to be adjusted. A Debt to EBITDA
covenant, for example, may have to be relaxed as principal debt
increases.