The term “securitization” is used to describe the process of creating financial instruments called “securities” from underlying assets. The purpose of securitization is to provide investors with a security that is backed by a pool of assets, which can be anything from mortgages to credit card receivables.
The primary motivation for securitization is to unlock the value of the underlying assets so that they can be used more efficiently. For example, a bank may have a portfolio of loans that it is holding on its balance sheet. By securitizing the loans and selling them to investors, the bank can free up capital to make new loans.
The term “securitization” has been appropriated in recent years to refer primarily to debt instruments, such as mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDO). However, securitization can also apply to other types of assets, such as student loans, credit card receivables, and even shares of stock. In fact, the shares of a corporation can be thought of as a form of securitization in that they represent a security that can be sold to investors.
The securitization of debt instruments has become increasingly popular in recent years, in part because of the development of sophisticated financial engineering techniques that allow for the creation of highly customized securities. For example, MBS can be structured to provide investors with exposure to a specific subset of loans, such as those with low loan-to-value ratios or those that are located in a particular geographic region. Similarly, CDOs can be structured to provide exposure to a specific type of debt, such as junk bonds or leveraged loans.
The concept of securitization is not new, but it gained prominence in the early 21st century with the advent of “ Structured investment vehicles” (SIVs). SIVs are special purpose entities that are used to pool together assets and then issue securities backed by those assets. The first SIV was created in 1988, but they really came into the spotlight in the years leading up to the Financial Crisis of 2008.
During the housing bubble of the early-2000s, many banks and other financial institutions began the securitization trend with Prime Mortgages. As they started becoming popular asset choices, and the demand increased beyond expectations, due to lower interest rates and higher yields, Banks started to add subprime mortgages to the securitization process.
The process continued to the such an extent that the subprime mortgages became the major asset pool in the securitization of MBS’. This means that they took a bunch of loans that were of questionable quality and bundled them together into a security. These securities were then sold to investors, who were promised that they would receive regular interest payments as well as their principal back when the loans were eventually paid off.
However, as we all know, the housing bubble eventually burst and defaults on subprime mortgages skyrocketed. This left many investors holding worthless securities and led to the collapse of several major financial institutions.
In the wake of the Financial Crisis, there has been a lot of discussion about the role of securitization in exacerbating the crisis. However, it’s important to remember that securitization is simply a tool that can be used for good or for ill. There is nothing inherently wrong with pooling together assets and selling securities backed by those assets.
In fact, securitization can be a very effective way to raise capital and to provide investors with a diversified portfolio of assets. For example, rather than investing in a single mortgage, an investor can buy a security that is backed by a pool of hundreds or even thousands of mortgages. This helps to spread the risk and makes the security more likely to survive even if a few of the underlying mortgages default.
Fractional ownership of assets is a process whereby an investor can own a portion of an asset, such as a piece of property, a work of art, or even a rare spirit. The asset is divided into a number of shares, each of which can be sold to investors. Securitization is the principle behind fractional ownership of assets.
This can be a very effective way to invest in an asset that would be too expensive to purchase outright. For example, let’s say that you wanted to buy a piece of art that cost $1 million. However, you only have $10,000 to invest. If you were to purchase the art through fractional ownership, you would own 1% of it. So, if the work of art was sold for $2 million, you would receive $20,000. Various firms facilitate the digital fractionalization of indivisible assets such as art and other collectibles.
It is important to realize that there are risks associated with fractional ownership as well. For example, if the art was sold for less than what it was purchased for, you would still only receive 1% of the sale price. However, fractional ownership can be a very effective way to invest in an asset that you otherwise would not be able to afford. It’s also a great way to diversify your portfolio and to spread the risk of investing in a single asset.
# Securitization # Fractionalization # FractionalAssets #EzAlts #FutureOfInvesting
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Nicely written Article.
Absolutely agreed – easily understandable piece on securitization and fractionalization.
Thanks a lot Renu and Vic.