Credit Risk
The definition of credit risk is at the core of lending. Banks lend money to businesses and individuals and expect to recover the principal and win interest. Banks offer a variety of loans, each designed for a particular group of borrowers from the market. On the one hand, people with good credit scores and high incomes and businesses with large sales figures will usually get low-interest loans - they are more likely to return the money and interest, so the credit risk is low. On the other hand, borrowers with bad credit scores and companies who are desperate for funding at all costs will receive high-interest loans because they will have difficulties in repaying their debt, which means that the credit risk is more significant. So, the banks can identify the quality of their borrowers from the amount of interest they are willing to pay. The credit risk refers to the probability for a lender to recover all his money and the interest from the borrower. From which the term name as credit risk. What is the risk of loss in case a borrower becomes unable to repay the loan? Obviously, this risk is greater for the borrowers willing to pay high interest rates since they are more likely to default.
An even shorter definition for credit risk would be banker’s biggest fear.
Events that can lead to a default
(1) Due to unforeseen circumstances, the borrower may lose the financial ability to repay the loan placing the collateralized property at risk of foreclosure.
(2) In the case of an adjustable rate mortgage, due to rising interest charges, payments could become unaffordable. The borrower may default on their mortgage and lose the property.
(3) In the event of a depreciating asset, the loan value may exceed the value of the collateralized asset.
(4) In the event of the death of the borrower, payments on a loan will become a liability for the heirs.
A default generally occurs after 270 days in which a borrower hasn't made any payments. However, student loans are considered in default after 120 days of missed payments. Credit defaults are the materialization of the credit risk.
Popular Mortgage Terms
After reaching a certain annual income, you might be interested in finding the definition of a jumbo mortgage. What is a jumbo loan? It is something like a mortgage with ...
Points paid by a lender for a loan with a rate above the rate on a zero point loan. For example, a lender might quote the following prices: 8%/0 points, 7.5%/3 points, 8.75%/-2.5 points. ...
Using a brokers time and expertise to become informed and creditworthy, then jumping to the Internet to get the loan. ...
Insurance provided the lender against loss on a mortgage in the event of borrower default. In the U.S., all FHA and VA mortgages are insured by the federal government. On other mortgages, ...
The definition of affordability in real estate is simply a buyer’s capacity to afford a house. Affordability is usually expressed in terms of the maximum amount a buyer will be able ...
The largest loan size permitted on a particular loan program. For programs where the loan is targeted for sale to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the maximum will be the largest loan ...
The assumption that the index value to which the interest rate on an ARM is tied follows the same pattern as in some prior historical period. In meeting their disclosure obligations in ...
The monthly index is a ratio of monthly interest costs to total funds, expressed as a percentage. Annualized interest, the numerator, is calculated by multiplying the deposit balances at ...
A documentation option where the applicant's income is disclosed and verified but not used in qualifying the borrower. The conventional maximum ratios of expense to income are not ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.