Friday, September 20, 2013

We need “The Risky” to access bank credit, competitively, especially in bad times, as “The Infallible” alone cannot pull us out of anything

If a bank charges a 3 percent risk premium to set of small and medium businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups borrowers, then it is reserving for sustaining losses of about 30 percent on 10 percent of these borrowers, something which, as bankers do not give loans were they think they are going to lose, is a hell of a great reserve.

But, the higher risk premiums paid by “The Risky” was something completely disregarded by the regulators when setting those capital requirements for banks based on perceived risk and that so much favor bank lending to “The Infallible”, in essence sovereigns, housing and the AAAristocracy.

You see, our current set of bank regulators, they do not care one iota about the fact that their capital requirements utterly distorts the allocation of bank credit in the real economy, and in which, it is really the access to bank credit of “The Risky”, in competitive terms, what most needs to be assured.

You see our current bank regulators care only about the banks, and that is why they are so damn bad bank regulators.

You see our current bank regulators are so scared shit about all ex ante “risk”, they fail to understand that, ex post, only “The Infallible” cause major bank disasters.

There is nothing as risky for the banks, and for us, as not taking a risk on “The Risky” of the real economy.