Till the late nineties bank loans were reserved for a minority because so many people had no land title which the banks ask as collateral. The situation has changed, most people now have the "red book", and most have deposited it at once at the bank for a loan!

Overdebtedness is very common, probably a majority will never be in a position to refund. Interest rates are modest (about 10%/year), but unofficial costs prevail, depending on how attractive the terms are and how much influence the borrower may play.

Microcredit are always more expensive (often 2-3 times) than bank loans (except the bribes and unofficial expenses): a small amount is more costly to manage in proportion. Microcredit works well when repayment is done with a large number of installments (weekly, monthly), but in turn they increase the management costs. For instance a 40 € repaid in 40 installments of 1 €. The microcredit is also refunded at the farm or at the group meeting: the microcredit agency staff incurs time and transport expenses which are much higher than for a bank.

Microcredit becomes unmanageable when bank credit become easily available because the latter is so much cheaper. Group is good as it allows poor people to borrow without collateral. But solidarity has also its perverse effects: knowing that if a member of their group does not repay, they will have to pay in her place, some members, and then more and more, opt not to repay as well, a disastrous snow-balling effect.

Still today a minority does not have access to bank credit, for instance people with very little land. Small traders are often in this position. A small entrepreneur, who employs 1-200 workers, may have little land but also high credit needs. The banks are not flexible and usually provide one credit at a time, which is yet another problem. Thiên Chí provides credit to a few of them.