Collateral for Loans: When Does it Matter?

Abstract

This paper assesses the role of collateral by examining if collateral matters for loans, i.e., if the lack of conventional collateral limits access to institutional credit in rural areas. It also discusses conditions under which collateral matters for loans by analyzing the constraints found in using collateral/collateral substitutes in different types of environments for various categories of borrowers. The analyses based on literature survey shows that while collateral matters for improving access to loans and to loans of larger size, these relationships may hold only when specific conditions such as strong markets and legal institutions, and political and social willingness to allow collateral perform its prescribed role are met. Policy recommendations for bankers, governments and donors are drawn from the analysis.