Credit rationing

Credit rationing by definition is limiting the lenders of the supply of additional credit to borrowers who demand funds at a set quoted rate by the financial institution. It is an example of market failure, as the price mechanism fails to bring about equilibrium in the market. It should not be confused with cases where credit is simply "too expensive" for some borrowers, that is, situations where the interest rate is deemed too high. With credit rationing, the borrower would like to acquire the funds at the current rates, and the imperfection is the absence of supply from the financial institutions, despite willing borrowers. In other words, at the prevailing market interest rate, demand exceeds supply, but lenders are willing neither to lend enough additional funds to satisfy demand, nor to raise the interest rate they charge borrowers because they are already maximising profits, or are using a cautious approach to continuing to meet their capital reserve requirements. Credit rationing is not the same phenomenon as the better-known case of food rationing. Credit rationing is the result of asymmetric information whilst food rationing is a result of direct government action. With credit rationing, lenders limit the risk of asymmetric information the borrower through a process known as credit assessment. Credit assessment is completed during the loan application process by applying a set criterion to an application which results in either a loan approval or decline. It is important to note that credit assessment is one way that the lender reduces risk of loan default and is thereby one example of how lenders may apply credit rationing in practice. Three main types of credit rationing can usually be distinguished: The most basic form of credit rationing occurs when the value of collateral provided by the borrowers drops significantly and affects the quality of the lender's capital. Collateral provides assets to the bank meeting the minimum requirements set by regulators and may commonly be used to calculate the LVR (Loan to Value Ratio) of the loan.