Unit 2
Unit 2
TEST 2
In a perfect market, the price is determined by the forces of demand and supply.
Terms Explanations
1 Financial intermediaries E A The problem occurs when people do not pay for
information that others have to pay for.
2 Differences in preferences H B A moral hazard problem that occurs when the
of lenders and borrowers managers in control act in their own interest rather
than in the interest of the owners due to differing
set of incentives.
3 Asset transformation K C The inequality of knowledge that each party to a
transaction has about the other party.
4 Transaction costs D D The time and money spent trying to exchange
financial assets, goods, or services.
5 Asymmetric information C E Institutions that borrow funds from people who
have saved and then make loans to others
6 Adverse selection I F The risk that one party to a transaction will engage
in behavior that is undesirable from the other
party’s point of view.
7 Moral hazard F G Savings that can be achieved through increased
size.
8 Free-rider problem A H The conflicting requirements of lenders (needs for a
high degree of liquidity in their asset holdings) and
borrowers (needs for permanent or long-term
capital).
9 Principle-agent problem B I The problem created by asymmetric information
before a transaction occurs: the people who are the
most undesirable from the other party’s point of
view are the ones who are most likely to want to
engage in the financial transaction.
10 Economies of scale G K The process by which the financial intermediaries
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SECTION 2 – Match the solutions with their problems. Some solutions are used more than
once.
Task 1:
(c)corporations get more funds through equity financing than they get from financial
intermediaries.
(d) direct financing is more important than indirect financing as a source of funds.
3. Through risk-sharing activities, a financial intermediary _________ its own risk and
_________ the risks of its customers.
(a) reduces; increases
(b) increases; reduces
(c) reduces; reduces
(d) increases; increases
4. The presence of _________ in financial markets leads to adverse selection and moral
hazard problems that interfere with the efficient functioning of financial markets.
(a) noncollateralized risk
(b) free-riding
(c) asymmetric information
(d) costly state verification
5. When the lender and the borrower have different amounts of information regarding a
transaction, _________ is said to exist.
(a) asymmetric information
(b) adverse selection
(c) moral hazard
(d) fraud
6. When the potential borrowers who are the most likely to default are the ones most
actively seeking a loan, _________ is said to exist.
(a) asymmetric information
(b) adverse selection
(c) moral hazard
(d) fraud
7. When the borrower engages in activities that make it less likely that the loan will be
repaid, _________ is said to exist.
(a) asymmetric information
(b) adverse selection
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9. Adverse selection is a problem associated with equity and debt contracts arising from
(a) the lender’s relative lack of information about the borrower’s potential returns and risks of his
investment activities.
(b) the lender’s inability to legally require sufficient collateral to cover a 100 percent loss if the
borrower defaults.
(c) the borrower’s lack of incentive to seek a loan for highly risky investments.
(d) none of the above.
10. When the least desirable credit risks are the ones most likely to seek loans, lenders are
subject to the
(a) moral hazard problem.
(b) adverse selection problem.
(c) shirking problem.
(d) free-rider problem.
(e) principal-agent problem.
12. Successful financial intermediaries have higher earnings on their investments because
they are better equipped than individuals to screen out good from bad risks, thereby
reducing losses due to
(a) moral hazard.
(b) adverse selection.
(c) bad luck.
(d) financial panics.
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13. In financial markets, lenders typically have inferior information about potential returns
and risks associated with any investment project. This difference in information is called
(a) comparative informational disadvantage.
(b) asymmetric information.
(c) variant information.
(d) caveat venditor.
Task 2:
2.1. Read Chapter 7 in the textbook and circle the best option A, B, C or D.
1. What primary role do financial institutions play in the economy?
A. Increase transaction costs
B. Facilitate indirect finance
C. Reduce information asymmetry
D. Both B and C
2. Which of the following best describes the concept of "adverse selection"?
A. Investors making decisions based on incomplete information
B. The risk that borrowers will engage in risky behavior after obtaining a loan
C. The phenomenon where high-risk borrowers are more likely to seek loans
D. None of the above
3. How do financial intermediaries primarily reduce transaction costs?
A. By providing direct loans
B. By pooling resources and providing standardized products
C. By increasing regulatory oversight
D. By limiting the number of transactions
4. What is the "lemons problem" in the context of financial markets?
A. The inability to assess the quality of collateral
B. The challenge in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality assets
C. The phenomenon of rising interest rates
D. None of the above
5. Which of the following is a direct consequence of moral hazard?
A. Increased risk-taking behavior by borrowers
B. Decreased lending to high-risk individuals
C. More stringent credit assessments
D. Increased transparency in financial reporting
6. What mechanism do financial institutions use to mitigate the impact of adverse
selection?
A. High interest rates
B. Diversification of loan portfolios
C. Rigorous screening processes
D. Government intervention
7. Why is it important for financial institutions to manage conflicts of interest?
A. To maximize profits for shareholders
Faculty of Foreign Languages – Department of Business English Banking & Finance
3. What is the primary reason that financial crises tend to escalate quickly?
A. Increased regulatory oversight
B. The interconnectedness of financial institutions
C. High liquidity in the market
D. Consumer confidence in the economy68
4. During the initiation phase of a financial crisis, which factor is most likely to trigger
panic among investors?
A. Strong economic indicators
B. Sudden drops in asset prices
C. Government intervention
D. Low-interest rates
5. Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of financial crises?
A. Rapid decline in asset prices
B. Widespread bank failures
C. Increased consumer spending
D. Severe economic recession
6. The "leverage cycle" refers to: (CHU KÌ ĐÒN BẨY)
A. The increasing risk of leveraging during economic downturns.
B.The tendency for financial institutions to increase leverage in booming periods and reduce it
during downturns.
C. The stabilization of asset prices through leverage.
D. The reduction in regulatory requirements for leveraged firms.
7. Which economic event is often cited as a classic example of a financial crisis due to
excessive risk-taking in the housing market?
A. The Great Depression
B. The dot-com bubble
C. The 2007-2009 financial crisis
D. The Asian Financial Crisis
8. What role do credit rating agencies play in the occurrence of financial crises?
A. They provide accurate assessments of risk.
B. They can contribute to crises by misrating financial products, leading to excessive risk-taking.
C. They have no impact on financial markets.
D. They help stabilize the financial system through oversight.69
Faculty of Foreign Languages – Department of Business English Banking & Finance
SECTION 4: Fill in the gaps in the text below using the correct terms from the given table.
Each term can only be used once, and five terms will not be used.
Financial markets are categorized into debt and equity markets, (1) _ Primary markets _ and
(2)_ Secondary markets_, (3) _ Money markets_ and (4) Capital markets, and (5) _Over-
the-counter (OTC) markets _ and (6) _Exchanges_. These categories represent different ways
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in which financial instruments are created, traded, and utilized to facilitate the flow of capital in
the economy.
A significant development in recent years is the increasing (7) internationalization of financial
markets. (8) Eurobonds, which are issued in a currency different from the country of sale, have
become the leading security in the global bond market, surpassing (9) U.S. corporate bonds as a
source of funds. (10) Eurodollars, or U.S. dollars held in foreign banks, also play a key role in
funding American banks. (11) financial intermediaries gather funds by issuing liabilities and
then use those funds to buy assets like securities or provide loans. They are vital to the financial
system as they reduce (12) transaction costs, enable (13) risk sharing, and address issues of
(14) moral hazard and (15) adverse selection. Therefore, financial intermediaries allow small
savers and borrowers to benefit from financial markets, thereby boosting the economy's
efficiency.
There are three main types of financial intermediaries: (a) (16) _ banks _—commercial banks,
savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, and credit unions; (b) (17) deposit
insurance_—life insurance companies, fire and casualty insurance companies, and pension
funds; and (c) (18) _investment intermediaries_—finance companies, mutual funds, and money
market mutual funds.
The (19) government regulates financial markets and intermediaries to enhance investor
information and ensure the system's stability. Regulations mandate the (20) disclosure of
information, set up restrictions on establishing financial intermediaries, limit the assets they can
hold, provide deposit insurance, control competition, and impose interest rate restrictions.
Financial markets and intermediaries are crucial for the efficient allocation of resources, risk
management, and the overall stability of the financial system.
SECTION 5: Decide if the statements are True or False. If false, correct them.
1. Financial markets channel funds from savers to borrowers, promoting economic efficiency.
2. Commercial banks are the most important financial intermediaries in the economy.
3. Investment banks assist in the initial sale of securities in the primary market.
Primary Market: This is where newly issued securities are first sold to the public.
Secondary Market: This is where previously issued securities are bought and sold among
investors.
=> Insurance companies typically deal with long-term financial instruments. They collect
premiums over extended periods and may hold investments for long-term payouts on insurance
claims.
Faculty of Foreign Languages – Department of Business English Banking & Finance
Money markets deal with short-term debt instruments (typically with maturities of less than
one year), such as: Treasury bills, Commercial paper, Certificates of deposit
Financial intermediary
9. Mutual funds pool resources from many investors to buy diversified portfolios of securities.
11. Higher inflation typically leads to lower nominal interest rates (lãi suất danh nghĩa) to
maintain real returns.
higher
Real interest rate is the nominal interest rate adjusted for inflation. To maintain the real return on
savings, lenders will demand a higher nominal interest rate to compensate for the erosion of
purchasing power caused by inflation. (Lãi suất thực là lãi suất danh nghĩa được điều chỉnh theo
lạm phát. Để duy trì lợi nhuận thực tế từ tiền tiết kiệm, người cho vay sẽ yêu cầu lãi suất danh
nghĩa cao hơn để bù đắp cho sự xói mòn sức mua do lạm phát gây ra.)
12. A diversified portfolio eliminates all types of risk. (đa dạng hóa danh mục đầu tư)
A diversified portfolio reduces but does not eliminate all types of risk.
Diversification helps to reduce unsystematic risk (risk specific to individual assets), but it cannot
eliminate systematic risk (market risk, which affects the overall market).
13. The Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. (FED: hệ thống lưu trữ
tiền tệ)
….by:
* Efficiently allocating capital from savers to borrowers. (phân bổ vốn hiệu quả)
* Managing risk.
16. A financial intermediary increases the direct connection between savers and borrowers.
reduces
17. The primary purpose of venture capital is to provide loans to large corporations.
22. Principal-agent problems are a form of moral hazard where agents may act in the best
interests of principals.
24. Transaction costs are always fixed and do not vary with the size of the transaction.
31. Government guarantees can increase moral hazard in the banking sector.
Task 1:
Question 1 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): “The more collateral there is backing a loan, the less the
lender has to worry about adverse selection.” Is this statement true, false, or uncertain? Explain
your answer.
Question 2 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): How can economies of scale help explain the existence of
financial intermediaries?
Question 3 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Describe two ways in which financial intermediaries help
lower transaction costs in the economy.
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Question 4 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Would moral hazard and adverse selection still arise in
financial markets if information were not asymmetric? Explain.
Question 5 (Lecture 2, Chapter 8): What are the two ways that spikes in interest rates lead to an
increase in adverse selection and moral hazard problems?
Question 6 (Lecture 2, Chapter 8): True, false, or uncertain: Financial engineering always leads
to a more efficient financial system.
Question 7 (Lecture 2, Chapter 8): How can a currency crisis lead to higher interest rates?
Task 2:
Question 1 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Which firms are most likely to use bank financing rather than
to issue bonds or stocks to finance their activities? Why?
Question 2 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): How can the existence of asymmetric information provide a
rationale for government regulation of financial markets?
Question 3 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): How does the free-rider problem aggravate adverse selection
and moral hazard problems in financial markets?
Question 4 (Lecture 2, Chapter 8): When can a decline in the value of a country’s currency
exacerbate adverse selection and moral hazard problems? Why?
Question 5 (Lecture 2, Chapter 8): How does a general increase in uncertainty as a result of a
failure of a major financial institution lead to an increase in adverse selection and moral hazard
problems?
Task 3:
Question 1 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Would you be more willing to lend to a friend if she put all of
her life savings into her business than you would if she had not done so? Why?
Question 2 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Rich people often worry that others will seek to marry them
only for their money. Is this a problem of adverse selection?
Question 3 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): Manulife insurance company is concerned about adverse
selection when offering health insurance policies. How can Manulife mitigate the risk of
attracting predominantly high-risk individuals?
Question 4 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): BIDV is considering providing a large loan to a new startup.
However, the bank is concerned that once the loan is granted, the startup might engage in riskier
business activities than initially promised. What measures can BIDV take to prevent moral
hazard?
Question 5 (Lecture 2, Chapter 7): LET, a small business, is looking to raise funds through
issuing bonds. However, the costs associated with issuing the bonds are substantial. How do
these transaction costs affect the small business, and what can it do to mitigate these costs?
Homework
Summary
Financial intermediaries
Why – exist
- To solve or reduce………………………………………………………………………………...
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What – types
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- Types: …………………………………………………………………………………………….
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