Personal security and protection over property are the two main categories of security. An individual who is not responsible under the terms of the credit arrangement enters into a separate agreement with the creditor and assumes responsibility to protect the interests of the lender. [5] In contrast, security over property refers to a claim over a property that is intended to increase the likelihood that the creditor will get payment or whatever else the debtor is needed to do in order to fulfil the terms of the contract. [6] Under English law, there are four different kinds of security over property: a pledge, a contractual lien, an equitable charge, and a mortgage. When a property is pledged, the pledgee acquires an implicit right to sell the asset in the case of a debtor's default and to recoup their investment from the sale proceeds. [7] A contractual lien enables the creditor to hold onto delivered items for uses other than security. [8] Under the terms of a mortgage, the debtor retains possession of the property while giving the creditor the right to sell it at a later date if the loan is paid in full. [9] A charge consists of the appropriation of specific debtor property for the purpose of paying off the debt; it does not include the transfer of title or possession. [10] Typically, the creditor will appoint a receiver in order to enforce the charge. Both fixed and floating charges are possible. Specific assets become subject to a fixed charge, which prevents the chargor from dealing with those assets without the charge's permission. [11] A floating charge, however, allows the chargee to manage the charged assets as though they were free of the charge up until it crystallises. The charge becomes attached to the assets in the class once it crystallises, and the chargor is unable to dispose of the asset free of the charge without the chargee's permission. [12] Generally speaking, lending money to businesses boosts output and supports businesses. Credit also helps businesses get through challenging times. [13] Improving the creditor's chances of being reimbursed in the event of the debtor's bankruptcy is the primary reason for taking security for credit. [14] An regular unsecured creditor has limited chance of recovering anything because the taking of security maximises the chances of recovery. Control is the basis for the second justification for taking security. Due to the possibility of losing an asset crucial to the debtor's business, the debtor is more likely to pay a secured creditor than an unsecured one. [15] Thirdly, the ability to sell or take possession of certain assets without the assistance of a court or other official intervention is made possible by security over those assets. This is especially true when there is a floating charge placed on all of the company's assets, which allows the creditor to name an administrative receiver to continue managing the business while attempting to maximise its assets. [16] Fourthly, it has also been suggested that secured credit eliminates the necessity for in-depth and costly research on the borrower's financial situation. [17] The fifth claim is that secured credit encourages economic activity. In addition to encouraging lending, the availability of security also reduces the cost of credit, so boosting economic activity. However, Mann [19] contends that while secured credit has advantages, it also has drawbacks for both the lender and the borrower. [20] Secured credit allows the borrower to recover funds against the secured asset, but it may also restrict further borrowing. Sixthly, there is a growing global consensus that secured credit contributes to society's overall social and economic well-being. Goode contends that a nation's economy cannot grow if there is insufficient legal protection for security rights. [21]

So, among other things, secured credit strengthens the position of the creditor in connection to the debtor's execution of the contract. In particular, a secured credit compels the debtor to fulfil the contract's commitments. [22] The secured creditor will be in a stronger position to recover the amount borrowed by selling the security if the debtor is unable to fulfil his or her commitments. [23] Secured credit gives the secured creditor the ability to exercise their legal claims against the property covered by the security and prevents other creditors from seizing the property. As summed up by Goode, secured credit is granted the right and the right of preference. The secured party is entitled to look to the proceeds of the asset to satisfy the debt owed to him in priority to the claims of other creditors. [24] The secured creditor "can follow his asset, and its products and proceeds of, into the hands of any third party, other than one acquiring an overriding title by virtue of some exception to the nemo dat rule." According to Goode, other actual rights, depending on the type of security interest, are available for the enforcement of the security, such as the retention or recovery of custody of the asset, the sale of the asset, foreclosure, and an order vesting legal title in the secured creditor. [25]

The part secured credit plays in corporate bankruptcy

The term "corporate insolvency" is used to describe a company's actual financial situation as well as a change in its legal standing. If a firm cannot pay its debts as they become due or if its liabilities outweigh its assets, it is considered insolvent. The company's legal standing is not instantly changed by the fact that it is insolvent in this sense, nor does it automatically necessitate that it engage in some sort of insolvency procedure. On the other side, insolvency means that a corporation is going through a bankruptcy process, such as liquidation or administration. As the firm would no longer be in control of its own destiny and would typically select an insolvency practitioner to oversee its affairs, the corporation's legal status would alter in this scenario.

In order to safeguard themselves from their borrowers' insolvency, creditors take security. When a corporation is unable to pay its debt in full, having security that is still effective during that time is of little use. [26] This is recognised by English law, and generally speaking, the insolvency of the corporation has no bearing on the legality of the enforcement of secured credit. A creditor who has a personal security in place, however, also has a personal claim against the original debtor and the third party. Its worth is reliant on the third party's ongoing financial stability. If the third party goes bankrupt, the creditor will only have the option to compete with other unsecured creditors for a dividend. A creditor with a security interest in property, however, can rely on their right of preference to guarantee priority over other creditors in the case of insolvency. In the event of a company's insolvency, secured credit over property gives the creditor a preferred position. The insolvency of the debtor and the likelihood that the creditor will have to line up and share pari passu with all other creditors are what creditors are most afraid about, according to Allan [27]. [28] Therefore, security gives a secured creditor a way to seize the assets that are secured against them in the event of insolvency and fully fulfil their claim outside of the insolvency. [29]