Introduction
In the modern day world, with technology and global markets expanding, the need for credit is a constant issue for economies to monitor. Liquidity rationing has been most relevant since the GFC, when the credit market essentially froze, sending financial markets in turmoil. Therefore finding ways to increase liquidity at a time when markets are volatile requires instruments of low risk. Covered bonds have recently gained momentum as a popular tool for banks to increase their liquidity whilst taking on very limited risk.
Theory
A Credit Crunch also known commonly as liquidity rationing, is the reduction in general availability of loans or credit, or a sudden limitation of conditions required to obtain from a financial institution. A credit crunch is therefore independent of interest rate movements. This does however result in the relationship between credit and interest rates to change so that, credit becomes less available at a given interest rate, or there ceases to be a clear relationship between credit availability and interest rates. These events of a liquidity rationing are often the result of reckless lending management, which leads to bad debt for institutions. Consequently, when these loans take a turn for the worse and the investors cannot reimburse their loan payments, banks are forced to take sudden action and tighten the availability of loans or credit. The Financial Crisis is a prime example of a credit crunch that resulted in a near collapse of the global financial markets; in which case was saved by a sovereign bailout to ensure liquidity was restored.
Covered bonds are debt securities backed by cash flows from mortgages or public sector loans. They are similar in many ways to asset-backed securities created in securitization, but covered bond assets