DebtStackA Founder’s Guide to Debt Capital
Toolkit · steal this

True-cost model

Two outputs per sheet: year-one all-in % and steady-state all-in %. Rank sheets on these — never on spread.

Build this per sheet, at your haircut draw curve, before comparing or signing (Part 6). Output two numbers per facility: year-one all-in % (includes setup) and steady-state all-in % (fully drawn, setup amortized). Rank sheets on these — never on spread.

Try it on your numbers

This checklist is the manual version — the DebtStack simulator runs the same model interactively.

Open the simulator →

Inputs

Recurring costs (annualize each)

LineBasisNotes
Interestavg drawn × (max(benchmark, floor) + spread)× 365/360 if actual/360 (~+1.4%)
Unused feeavg undrawn × ratethe oversizing tax
Draw feesΣ (draw × fee)per-draw fees on a recycling facility compound — model actual cadence
Agent/admin feesflatbalance-irrelevant
Annual/semiannual diligenceestimate $50–75kloan audits, field exams, compliance — your expense
Backup servicer retainercontractwho pays — you or the servicing fee?
Verification agent / facility admincontract
Independent director~$5–10k
Audited financials$50k+if newly required by the facility
Reserve dragreserve balance × your cost of equitytrapped cash isn't free
Insurance premiumskey-person, D&O riders

One-time costs (year one; amortize for steady-state view)

LineNotes
Structuring/upfront feeon committed; recurs per tranche — model the upsize now
Your legal$150–300k first institutional deal
Lender legalyours to pay; capped only if you capped it
Initial diligence pass-throughsbackground checks, file audit, site visit
SPV setupentity, opinions (true sale / non-consolidation), account setup, DACAs
Warrant valueBlack-Scholes it or estimate honestly — penny warrants ≈ full grant value; it's compensation, count it

Outputs

Scenario columns worth running

  1. Haircut plan (base case — size the facility to this one, per Part 7)
  2. Slow ramp (50% of haircut — how bad does unused + minimum-utilization get?)
  3. Rates fall (does the floor eat the entire benefit?)
  4. One trigger breach quarter (AR cut + sweep + default margin — the compound month from Part 8)