ECS3701
ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2024
UNIQUE NO.833935
DUE DATE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2024
, ECS3701
Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024
Unique Number: 833935
Due Date: 27 September 2024
Monetary Economics
2.01: Collateral and Indirect Finance in Explaining Financial Structure
Collateral and indirect finance play key roles in understanding how financial systems
operate worldwide. Collateral refers to assets that a borrower offers to a lender to
secure a loan. It's like a safety net for lenders because, if the borrower defaults, the
lender can seize the collateral to recover their losses. This is crucial because many
borrowers, especially businesses or individuals with less creditworthiness, may not be
able to get loans without offering something valuable as a guarantee.
Indirect finance involves financial intermediaries, like banks, who stand between
borrowers and savers. Instead of lending money directly, savers deposit funds into a
bank, and the bank then lends those funds to borrowers. This system makes financing
more accessible and efficient, as it allows banks to assess credit risks, bundle deposits,
and provide loans to a wider pool of borrowers.
These two factors—collateral and the role of intermediaries in indirect finance—explain
why direct finance (where borrowers go directly to investors) is much less common
globally. Most borrowers lack the reputation or scale to raise funds directly, so they rely
heavily on banks and other intermediaries, who in turn, ask for collateral to manage risk.
This is how most financial systems are structured, with intermediaries playing a major
role in ensuring money flows smoothly between those who need it and those who have
it.
2.02: Financing Government Deficits: Monetizing Debt and Printing Money