The strength of any covered bond lies in the principle of dual recourse. First, the holder of a covered bond turns to the issuer of the covered bond for payment of interest and repayment of principal. In case of an issuer default, the investor can rely on a pool of collateral, held by the covered bond company. This special purpose vehicle is there solely for the benefit of the covered bond note holders as it segregates the covered bond collateral from the issuing bank. The dual recourse provides a large degree of security to investors, which is reflected in the ratings of covered bonds. These ratings are typically higher than those of the issuing bank.