Major source of risk exposure resulting from the issuance of standby letters of credit.
Full Answer Section
- Dispute: There may be a dispute between the applicant and the beneficiary over whether or not the underlying obligation has been fulfilled.
- Insolvency: The applicant may become insolvent and unable to fulfill their obligations.
- Carefully evaluate the applicant's creditworthiness: Before issuing an SBLC, the issuing bank should carefully evaluate the applicant's creditworthiness to ensure that they are unlikely to default on their obligations.
- Require collateral: The issuing bank may require the applicant to provide collateral to support the SBLC. This collateral could be in the form of cash, securities, or other assets.
- Obtain a counter-guarantee: The issuing bank may obtain a counter-guarantee from another bank. A counter-guarantee is a promise by another bank to reimburse the issuing bank if the beneficiary draws on the SBLC.
- Include clear and concise terms and conditions in the SBLC: The SBLC should include clear and concise terms and conditions that specify the conditions under which the beneficiary can draw on the SBLC. This will help to avoid disputes over whether or not the underlying obligation has been fulfilled.
Sample Solution
The major source of risk exposure resulting from the issuance of standby letters of credit (SBLCs) is the possibility of the beneficiary drawing on the SBLC, even if the underlying obligation is not fulfilled. This means that the issuing bank could be required to pay out a large sum of money, even if the customer (the applicant) does not default on their obligations.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to the risk of a beneficiary drawing on an SBLC, including:
- Fraud: The beneficiary may defraud the issuing bank by submitting false or misleading documentation to support their draw.