A third role of banks in the money market is to provide, in exchange for fees, commitments that help insure that investors in money market securities will be paid on a timely basis. One type of commitment is a backup line of credit to issuers of money market securities, which is typically dependent on the financial condition of the issuer and can be withdrawn if that condition deteriorates. Another type of commitment is a credit enhancement—generally in the form of a letter of credit—that guarantees that the bank will redeem a security upon.
