[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 7]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR762.124]

[Page 421-422]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                            CHAPTER VII--FARM
                SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 762--GUARANTEED FARM LOANS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 762.124  Interest rates, terms, charges, and fees.

    (a) Interest rates. (1) The interest rate on a guaranteed loan or 
line of credit may be fixed or variable as agreed upon between the 
borrower and the lender. The lender may charge different rates on the 
guaranteed and the non-guaranteed portions of the note. The guaranteed 
portion may be fixed while the unguaranteed portion may be variable, or 
vice versa. If both portions are variable, different bases may be used.
    (2) If a variable rate is used, it must be tied to a rate 
specifically agreed to between the lender and borrower in the loan 
instruments. Variable rates may change according to the normal practices 
of the lender for its average farm customers, but the frequency of 
change must be specified in the loan or line of credit instrument.
    (3) Neither the interest rate on the guaranteed portion nor the 
unguaranteed portion may exceed the rate the lender charges its average 
agricultural loan customer. At the request of the Agency, the lender 
must provide evidence of the rate charged the average agricultural loan 
customer. This evidence may consist of average yield data, or documented 
administrative differential rate schedule formulas used by the lender.
    (4) Interest must be charged only on the actual amount of funds 
advanced and for the actual time the funds are outstanding. Interest on 
protective advances made by the lender to protect the security will be 
charged at the note rate but limited to paragraph (a)(3) of this 
section.
    (5) The lender and borrower may collectively obtain a temporary 
reduction in the interest rate through the interest assistance program 
in accordance with Sec. 762.150.
    (b) OL terms. (1) Loan funds or advances on a line of credit used to 
pay annual operating expenses will be repaid when the income from the 
year's operation is received, except when the borrower is establishing a 
new enterprise, developing a farm, purchasing feed while feed crops are 
being established, or recovering from disaster or economic reverses.
    (2) The final maturity date for each loan cannot exceed 7 years from 
the date of the promissory note or line of credit agreement. Advances 
for purposes other than for annual operating expenses will be scheduled 
for repayment over the minimum period necessary considering the loan 
applicant's ability to repay and the useful life of the security, but 
not in excess of 7 years.

[[Page 422]]

    (3) All advances on a line of credit must be made within 5 years 
from the date of the Loan Guarantee.
    (c) FO terms. Each loan must be scheduled for repayment over a 
period not to exceed 40 years from the date of the note or such shorter 
period as may be necessary to assure that the loan will be adequately 
secured, taking into account the probable depreciation of the security.
    (d) Balloon installments under loan note guarantee. Balloon payment 
terms are permitted on FO or OL subject to the following:
    (1) Extended repayment schedules may include equal, unequal, or 
balloon installments if needed on any guaranteed loan to establish a new 
enterprise, develop a farm, or recover from a disaster or an economical 
reversal.
    (2) Loans with balloon installments must have adequate collateral at 
the time the balloon installment comes due. Crops, livestock other than 
breeding livestock, or livestock products produced are not sufficient 
collateral for securing such a loan.
    (3) The borrower must be projected to be able to refinance the 
remaining debt at the time the balloon payment comes due based on the 
expected financial condition of the operation, the depreciated value of 
the collateral, and the principal balance on the loan.
    (e) Charges and Fees. (1) The lender may charge the loan applicant 
and borrower fees for the loan provided they are no greater than those 
charged to unguaranteed customers for similar transactions. Similar 
transactions are those involving the same type of loan requested (for 
example, operating loans or farm real estate loans).
    (2) Late payment charges (including default interest charges) are 
not covered by the guarantee. These charges may not be added to the 
principal and interest due under any guaranteed note or line of credit. 
However, late payment charges may be made outside of the guarantee if 
they are routinely made by the lender in similar types of loan 
transactions.
    (3) Lenders may not charge a loan origination and servicing fee 
greater than 1 percent of the loan amount for the life of the loan when 
a guaranteed loan is made in conjunction with a down payment FO for 
beginning farmers under part 1943, subpart A, of this title.