What distinguishes open-end credit from closed-end credit?

Open-end credit is characterized by its flexibility, allowing borrowers to access funds repeatedly up to a pre-established credit limit. This type of credit includes credit cards and home equity lines of credit, where borrowers can draw from the available credit as needed, make payments, and then borrow again.

The correct choice highlights this key feature: borrowers can re-borrow up to the specified credit limit after they make payments. This distinguishes open-end credit from closed-end credit, which provides a lump sum of money that must be repaid in fixed monthly installments over a specified term and does not allow for additional borrowing once the loan is originated.

In contrast, closed-end credit typically has a fixed principal amount which is disbursed all at once and repaid in regular installments until the end of the loan term, without providing options for re-borrowing. Additionally, it is not designed for immediate repayment; rather, it follows a structured repayment plan. Therefore, the defining trait of open-end credit as the correct choice firmly establishes its nature of allowing for continuous borrowing within limits.