Posted on 07.24.10 in category Personal Finances

Intermediation: Matching savers to borrowers

Financial Intermediation generally consists of the following players:

- Savers- Surplus sectors of economy (typically households)

- Borrowers - Deficit sectors of the economy (non-savers)

- Economy as whole; borrowers borrow what savers save: SAVINGS = INVESTMENT

- Financial assets held by savers must always equal borrowers liabilities.

- Financial Intermediaries (Banks, investment firms, or other financial institutions) pool the savings of many people and lend to worthwhile borrowers.

Some Benefits of Intermediation:

- Life cycle model of consumption - showes typical consumption and saving patterns in life.

- Due to economic of SCALE (amount) and SCOPE (size), financial intermediaries match savers to borrowers efficiently and effectively and:

1) Earn good return
2) Contribute importantly to economic growth

Difficulties of lending for an individual:

1) cost of locating borrower
2) Obtain credit history
3) Rish of default makes diversification necessary

[tags]financial intermediation, intermediation[/tags]


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