Default risk premium: Difference between revisions
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'''Who Pays Default Premiums?''' | '''Who Pays Default Premiums?''' | ||
Commonly companies who have low grade bonds or people who have poor credit history pay a default premium. Companies will offer higher yields when the rating of the bond is low. | Commonly companies who have low grade bonds or people who have poor credit history pay a default premium. Companies will offer higher yields when the rating of the bond is low. As people with inferior credit must pay the bank higher interest rates in order to compensate the bank for the risk they are undertaking in lending the money. Conversely, people with strong credit will pay lower interest rates due to the merit of their credit history. All in all, a Default Risk Premium is a financial instrument utilized to counterweigh the degree of risk of a a certain investment. | ||
Revision as of 10:55, 1 April 2008
Default Risk Premium
In commencing this article I will provide the "textbook definition" of a Default Risk Premium: "The portion of a nominal interest rate or bond yield that represents compensation for the possibility of default".
All investors must always consider the possibility of credit risk or in other words, default. Investors are essentially risk takers since they are (and should be) equipped with the understanding of this possibility of default. A premium is then introduced primarily to protect the investor who recognizes that issuers may or may not make all the promised payments; therefore, a higher yield is acquired in order to compensate for the risk that is assumed. A common example of a bond that is more susceptible to default is known as a junk bond. This bond is rated at or lower than 'BB' and is considered a high risk investment due to the unlikelihood of meeting the timely payments. Fortunately, there are more secure investments such as, a Treasury bonds or notes. These are extremely popular investments.
The 3 Elements
It is important to understand the following concepts regarding bonds. Treasury notes and bonds carry three vital characteristics:
- They are default free
- They are taxable
- They are extremely liquid.
Generally all bonds do not carry these specific features. Bonds issued by corporations or municipalities play by different rules.
In returning to the topic at hand, Default Risk Premium is fundamentally exactly what it says it is... a risk premium. Much to the similarity of an employee receiving what is known as a, "hazard pay" for working a perilous job, a Default Risk Premium serves the same function. The hazard pay acts as a compensation for the risks the employee will undertake while working. Likewise, a risky investment must offer an investor a premium, to compensate for the increased likelihood of failing to meet timely payments. The premium andthe opportunity of receiving a large return will provide the dicey investment with more merit or value of the identified risk.
Who Pays Default Premiums?
Commonly companies who have low grade bonds or people who have poor credit history pay a default premium. Companies will offer higher yields when the rating of the bond is low. As people with inferior credit must pay the bank higher interest rates in order to compensate the bank for the risk they are undertaking in lending the money. Conversely, people with strong credit will pay lower interest rates due to the merit of their credit history. All in all, a Default Risk Premium is a financial instrument utilized to counterweigh the degree of risk of a a certain investment.