In times of default and bankruptcy, the recovery rate is one of the most used metrics. It is the percentage that shows the portion of defaulted debt that can be recovered.
The formula for the recovery rate is:
Recovery Rate = Total Recovered Value/Original Loan Amount * 100
If the original loan amount is $30,000 and the company was able to recover only $5,500, the recovery rate will be 18%.
This equation can be used to transform raw data into a financial metric. You can use this formula to calculate the loss given default:
Loss Given Default = 1 – Recovery Rate
A higher recovery rate means fewer losses and greater financial resilience.
Follow the steps below to calculate the recovery rate in Excel:
STEP 1: Label your columns: Original Loan Amount, Amount Recovered, and Recovery Rate.
STEP 2: Enter the amount recovered and original loan amount in column B.
STEP 3: Select the cell containing the amount recovered and divide it by the original loan amount.
STEP 4: Press Enter.
You can use the fill handle to copy this formula to the entire column:
. This action auto-fills the formula in each of the selected rows.
Below are the tips that can help you avoid errors and keep the calculations correct:
You can divide the total recovered value by the original loan amount to get the recovery rate.
Recovery Rate = Total Recovered Value/Original Loan Amount * 100
The recovery rate shines a light on the proportion of funds that lenders can retrieve after a borrower defaults. It’s a crucial metric that reflects the effectiveness of a company’s risk management tactics, helping to steer through the fog of credit losses.
Yes, you can chart the recovery rate for different timeframes. Whether you’re keeping watch weekly, monthly, or annually, the formula remains your financial compass, guiding you through the temporal tides of debt recovery.
Follow the steps below to calculate the rate of return:
= (Total Returns - Investment Cost) / Investment Cost.This will unfurl the sails of your rate of return, guiding your investment decisions with precision.
John Michaloudis is a former accountant and finance analyst at General Electric, a Microsoft MVP since 2020, an Amazon #1 bestselling author of 4 Microsoft Excel books and teacher of Microsoft Excel & Office over at his flagship MyExcelOnline Academy Online Course.