Selling Loans Flashcards
What is the primary reason banks sell loans?
To reduce credit risk, meet capital requirements, free up balance sheets for additional lending, and generate revenue by leveraging market conditions.
How does the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) regulate loan sales?
FSMA establishes the regulatory framework for financial services, including loan sales. Part 6 governs regulated activities like securitisation, and Schedule 2 outlines the application of these rules to loan transfers.
What protections does the Consumer Credit Act 1974 provide for borrowers in loan sales?
Section 82 requires notification of loan assignment. Sections 77–79 allow borrowers to request copies of credit agreements after the sale.
What is the Loan Market Association (LMA)?
An organisation providing standardised documentation for syndicated loan sales, ensuring consistency and reducing legal disputes.
Define assignment in the context of loan sales.
Assignment transfers the right to receive payments under a loan agreement but does not transfer the original lender’s obligations.
What is novation in loan sales?
A legal mechanism that transfers both rights and obligations of a loan to a new party, requiring the borrower’s consent to form a new contract.
What is securitisation?
The process of bundling loans into securities, which are sold to investors, transferring the repayment risk to them.
What was the significance of the 2007–2009 financial crisis for securitisation?
It exposed how securitisation can lead to moral hazard, where lenders neglect creditworthiness checks, contributing to the subprime mortgage crisis.
What case confirmed that loan sales do not alter the borrower’s obligations unless explicitly stated?
National Bank of Greece v Pinios Shipping Co (1990).
How does Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge (No 2) [2001] relate to borrower protection?
It reinforced the lender’s duty to ensure borrowers understand loan implications, particularly when loans are secured against property.
What are the borrower’s rights under a loan assignment?
Borrowers retain all original defences and set-offs against the new lender and must be notified of the assignment under statutory requirements.
What is the role of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in securitisation?
The SPV holds the loans and issues securities to investors, insulating the lender from the associated risks.
What does Section 136 of the Law of Property Act 1925 require for statutory assignment?
The assignment must be absolute. It must be in writing. Notice must be given to the borrower.
Why is borrower notification important in loan sales?
It ensures transparency and allows borrowers to direct repayments to the correct lender, avoiding disputes.
What did Holt v Heatherfield Trust (1942) establish about statutory assignments?
The necessity of express notice to borrowers for enforceability.
What is the difference between legal and equitable assignments?
Legal (statutory): Full legal title is transferred; borrower notification is required. Equitable: Transfers rights but not legal title; no borrower notice is necessary.
What critical issues arise in syndicated loan sales?
Ensuring borrower obligations remain clear. Preserving security through collective agreements. Addressing fiduciary duties among syndicate members.
What are the challenges in cross-border loan sales?
Varying legal systems, regulatory compliance issues, and potential borrower confusion due to different servicing standards.
What fiduciary duties were highlighted in Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG v Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (2003)?
Lenders must disclose critical financial information to prevent misrepresentation during loan syndication sales.
How does the FSMA protect consumers in securitisation?
By regulating entities through the FCA and ensuring transparency in the securitisation process.
What is the moral hazard associated with securitisation?
Lenders may lower credit standards, knowing they will transfer the risk to investors.
What are the borrower’s risks in securitisation?
Reduced accountability of the original lender. Increased complexity in identifying the entity servicing the loan.
How does Cranston critique loan sales?
Cranston highlights a lack of transparency and insufficient borrower protections, particularly in securitisation and syndicated lending.
What does Amao argue about cross-border loan sales?
Amao critiques the regulatory gaps that expose borrowers to less stringent protections when loans are sold to foreign entities.
Why are standardised documents like those from the LMA important?
They reduce legal disputes, ensure clarity in loan sales, and streamline transactions, especially in syndicated loans.
What is the borrower’s position under novation?
The borrower forms a new contract with the new lender, who assumes all rights and obligations of the original lender.
What does Section 82 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 require in loan assignments?
The creditor must notify borrowers when loans are assigned to a new party.
What are the practical benefits of novation for lenders?
Complete transfer of rights and obligations. Cleaner exit from the lending relationship. Reduced ongoing liabilities.