What are the four Cs of credit and why are they important?

The four Cs of credit are character, capacity, capital, and collateral. Character assesses a borrower's reliability and credit history, capacity evaluates their ability to repay the loan based on income and expenses, capital refers to the borrower’s assets and savings, and collateral is the assets pledged against the loan. These factors are important as they help lenders determine the risk of lending to an individual or business, influencing loan approval and terms. Understanding the four Cs can also guide borrowers in improving their creditworthiness.