Providing credit is defined as the provision of credit to a person in his capacity as borrower or potential borrower. This includes consumer and mortgage credit; and providing credit by way of finance leases, factoring, and forfaiting. It also includes the issuance or endorsement of letters of credit, the issuance of letters of guarantee, and other contingent credit activities. It excludes money advanced to a person in consideration for debt instruments issued by the same person. It also excludes the purchase of such instruments on the secondary market (see LR-1.3.18).