All About: What Is Credit Control?

Aug 30, 2022 By Triston Martin

Introduction

What Is Credit Control? A business's success or failure mostly hinges on the demand for products or services. As a rule of thumb, larger sales lead to bigger profits, leading to higher stock prices. Sales, a clear metric in generating corporate performance, depend on various elements. Some, like the economy's health, are exogenous or out of the company's control; other elements are under a company's control. Sales prices, product quality, advertising, and the firm's credit control through the credit policy are among the most important aspects within its purview to alter.

In general, credit control aims to give credit to a consumer to make it easier for them to purchase a good or service. This method delays payment for the buyer, making the purchase more enticing, or it breaks the purchase price into payments, likewise making it simpler for a customer to justify the purchase, albeit interest charges will increase the ultimate cost.

The benefit for the firm is greater sales which lead to increased profitability. However, the crucial component of a credit control strategy is deciding who to provide credit. Extending credit to those with a poor credit history can result in not getting paid for the commodity or service sold. Depending on the industry and the amount of bad credit granted, this might adversely influence a firm in a major way. Businesses must select what type of credit control policy they are willing and able to execute.

Why is Credit Management so Crucial?

Credit control is crucial when it comes to lending institutions' financial health. Picture a scenario in which a bank makes a disjointed call and extends credit to a borrower with a checkered past. If the borrower has a poor payment history in the past, they will likely miss or postpone payments in the future.

Repeated instances of the borrower being unable to make payments because they default on their loan could lead to the lender running out of money and, in the worst situation, having to close its doors. Credit controls ensure that only potential clients with a proven track record of timely debt repayment are prioritized. This will guarantee sufficient money coming in and going out of the business to keep it running smoothly.

Methods for Maintaining Credit Order

Quantitative Or General Procedures

  • The term "bank rate policy" in economics refers to a discount rate strategy. It is the rate at which the central bank would often buy and rediscount legal instruments like government-issued bills and commercial papers. It has a major impact on borrowing rates and accessibility.
  • Commercial banks may borrow less frequently from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) when the central bank raises the bank rate. However, when the RBI lowers the bank rate, commercial banks can borrow from the RBI at a more affordable rate, encouraging the expansion of the economy's credit supply.
  • By "Open Market Operations," or OMO, we mean the buying and selling eligible securities on the open market by a country's central bank. RBI in both the money and stock markets. Any purchases or sales of short- or long-term securities by the central bank affect the available funds at commercial banks. Credit-making at financial institutions will be influenced as a result.
  • Reserve Ratio Shifts As is well known, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates that commercial banks maintain cash reserves in an amount equal to a fixed percentage of their net demand and time obligations. Banks must also maintain a certain level of liquid assets relative to their net demand and time liabilities. These reserve ratios are called the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR).

Selective Or Qualitative Methods

  • The central bank establishes margin requirements for loans secured by commodities, stocks, and shares. The central bank establishes margin requirements to limit risky stock market betting.
  • With credit rationing, the central bank restricts the money it lends to a certain economic sector. Limits on loans and advances from the central bank are possible. That principle should be adhered to by all commercial banks. This makes it simpler for banks to lease their credit risk to less desirable industries.
  • The leading financial institution controls consumer loans by establishing minimum down payments and maximum loan terms. Limiting demand is one way to rein in inflation, but when the economy is in the dumps, the opposite is done to stimulate demand for commodities.
  • Central bank regulations manage commercial bank credit. Written instructions, warnings, alerts, and appeals fall within this category.

Conclusion

Companies utilize credit control to attract and retain clients to boost sales. The objective is to build relationships with as many reliable customers as possible while reducing the number of times bad credit customers are offered credit.

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