Credit Event

A credit event can be considered a negative scenario that changes the capacity of the borrower to meet their obligations towards making payments. Most common credit events include bankruptcy filings, payment defaults, or restructuring of debt.

A credit default swap is a prime weapon to tackle credit events and helps us to transfer or distribute the risk of default. Credit events give rise to agreements signed between the buyer and seller, where the protection buyer will pay periodic payments to the protection seller, which acts as a form of protective measure from scenarios of going complete default. Credit default swap acts as a kind of hedging if the protection buyer has exposure to the underlying debts of the borrower. If such a thing happens where the buyer defaults, it will trigger the credit default swap instantaneously.

• A credit event is a negative occurrence affecting a borrower's ability to meet payment obligations. Common credit events include bankruptcy, payment defaults, and debt restructuring.
• A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial instrument that transfers default risk. Buyers pay sellers to hedge against complete default, protecting them from the borrower's obligations.
• Credit events encompass bankruptcy, payment defaults, and debt restructuring. Credit default swaps benefit both parties, shielding sellers from losses when customers can't pay.

#1 - Bankruptcy

This is a legal process where an individual or a company can default, i.e., come to a state where it can no longer repay the sum it owes to its creditors. Generally, bankruptcy is filed by the debtor itself or, at times, by the creditors, which resembles the inability of an individual or an organization to clear its outstanding debt. A company that has gone bankrupt is also termed insolvent; similarly, when an individual files for bankruptcy, he is termed insolvent too.

Bankruptcy is the final option when the company or the individual has no more options to survive in the market or repay its obligations. Thus, when a payment default arises in the first step and if it’s occurring continuously, it is crucial for the seller or creditor to keep a watch or act proactively on the debtor to avoid future losses.

#2 - Payment Default

Payment default and bankruptcy are sometimes confused as the same events. Payment default is when an individual or company faces difficulty paying their debt promptly or on time. A continuous trend of payment default may lead to bankruptcy or can be considered a warning signal that the concerned individual or company is moving to a zone of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a case where the concerned party cannot pay the debt in full, whereas payment default is a case where the party cannot pay the debt promptly.

#3 - Debt Restructuring

There are now specialized third-party agents who help restructure the debt on behalf of a certain percentage of charges in return. This is restructuring the payment terms or the debt conditions, which can be less favorable to the debt holders. Typical impacts of debt restructuring can include the change in coupon rate, reduction of the principal amount, postponing the payment scheduled dates, and increasing the maturity time.

A credit event is a scenario, whereas a credit default swap is a transaction to handle the scenario. A credit even arises when there is a sudden change in the capacity of a borrower to repay its due obligation. This can be because of bankruptcy, payment default, etc.

The credit default swap is a derivative investment that acts as a contract or a signed agreement between two parties, i.e., the buyer and the seller. The protection buyer, on periodic intervals, makes small payments as a form of protection against default. If by any chance the buyer defaults, it instantaneously triggers the credit default swap contract.

Credit default swap may look like insurance, but it is exactly not so. They act more like options because they will be betting on whether a scenario of credit will occur or not occur. A credit default swap is, moreover, based on the financial strength of the entity issuing the loan or the underlying bond.

Credit events are unavoidable scenarios that every individual or organization might face at some point in time, but proactively mitigating the risk of it by credit default swap investment product helps both parties lose the money and go completely default.

It acts as a shield to the seller from facing huge losses if the buyer defaults under certain critical scenarios. A credit event can create a win-win situation for both parties if handled appropriately with a credit default swap.

This has been a guide to What is Credit Event & its Definition. Here we discuss the role of credit events and the types and differences between credit events and credit default swaps. You can learn more about it from the following articles –

• Types of Credit
• Credit Insurance
• Credit Spread Option
• Credit Facility