Friday, August 22, 2014

The Value Of A SBLC In High Finance

By Deanne Shepard


Entrepreneurs hoping to expand their business entities, buyers wishing to purchase inventory for rapid turn-over, or contractors hoping to make a deal may need a significant amount of working capital. Venture capital is one possible source. This is money put up for a start-up or expansion by people or financial entities who receive company stock or part ownership in return. Those who don't wish to give up their controlling interest in their company may prefer a SBLC instead.

Banks, pension funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, and individuals with practically unlimited funds make up the major players in the world of finance. Dealers at the highest level move huge amounts of money around, much of it on paper only. Those who have purely personal portfolios don't really need to understand how the top works, but it is interesting.

The reputation of the bank or financial entity issuing the Letter of Credit (LC) is the backing for the document. In itself, a LC has no value. The transaction is similar to having a co-signer on a mortgage or a car loan - only on a much larger scale. In both instances, the backer hopes never to be called on to repay a loan or fulfill the terms of a contract.

Banks will never issue this sort of guarantee unless there is complete confidence in the client's ability to repay or to complete a contract. Information posted online differs on the prevalence of such pledges. Some posts say that they are very rare and may even be a signal for 'Investor beware'. Others promise expert handling of this kind of transaction, with benefits to all parties concerned.

This kind of transaction often accompanies a 'private placement' of securities. This is an 'invitation only' opportunity for large investors to buy stock, bonds, promissory notes, and such; the public at large cannot take advantage of the offering. Securities may be issued by a public company, but this 'private sale' does not come under the regulatory oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

When things are done on an international scale, it's even more complicated. For example, there is a lot of wealth in the United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country made up of seven emirates (principalities) headed by powerful families. One of the emirates in this federation is Dubai, a name familiar to many of us. Wealth of this kind can invest in private offerings or attract investors to its projects.

This is high finance far beyond the scope of most people in the world. However, like any investment, there is risk involved. It's possible to win big, but there's also a lot to lose. Risk is heightened when international laws and regulations come into play.

There are offers online for those who have - or need - ten million or more dollars for business purposes. Those of us with more modest needs or much less to invest take only an academic interest in the LC. However, it would be a great plot complication for a novel featuring a rich innocent or villain, a smart financial whiz kid, and a cast of shadowy background players.




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