HSBC chief executive officer Michael Geoghegan said more countries will adopt the mortgage lending caps that protected Asia during the collapse in the US and UK housing markets.

'The fact that Asia does guide you to the sort of loan-to- value ratio you should have has certainly helped Asia through this crisis,' Geoghegan said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today. 'Making sure people have their own skin in the game as well as the bank’s skill in the game is important.'

Hong Kong, where Geoghegan is based after transferring from London effective today, limits the percentage of a property’s value a homebuyer can borrow, as do China and South Korea.

bloomberg.com