Guest Contributor: Kevin Cullen, vice president, sales solutions specialist, SunGard’s XSP On Wednesday, October 9, the Financial Technologies Forum (FTF) held its annual corporate actions event, CAPCon New York. Based on the presentations and panels, it seems the world of corporate actions is working hard to evolve. In light of some of the current initiatives
Dodd-Frank
How Capitalism and Technology Can Fix the Equity Market
Guest Contributor: Kevin McPartland, Principal, Market Structure and Technology Advisory Service, Greenwich Associates Free-market capitalism will ultimately lead any marketplace to its ideal state. Over the past half-decade this principle has driven my hypothesis that regulators should not try to stymie trading strategy and technology innovation, but should instead follow a principles-based approach (see the
Financial Crime
For Bitcoin, a Roller Coaster With a Silver Lining?
Guest Contributor: Julie Conroy, research director, Aite Group Establishing a new, non-sovereign digital currency is not for the faint of heart. Bitcoin, the poster child for cryptocurrencies, has weathered a barrage of ups and downs over the last six months as financial and regulatory entities struggle to understand the currency and its role in commerce
Guest Blog
Strategy Specific Hedge Fund Operational Due Diligence
Guest Contributor: Jason Scharfman, Managing Partner, Corgentum Consulting, LLC When investors approach a hedge fund to begin the operational due diligence process, they will have likely done some degree of investment due diligence already. During the investment due diligence process, investors are often accustomed to the idea of framing their due diligence approach in a
Guest Blog
Mobile Technology Key for Advisors to Remain Competitive and Build Assets Under Management
Guest Contributor: Cheryl Nash, President, Investment Services from Fiserv Enterprise use of tablets is projected to quadruple from 2012 to 2016 to more than 53 million tablets, reports Gartner, promising to fundamentally change the way in which business is conducted, including the business of financial advice. In today’s increasingly digital world, mobile technology is key
Guest Blog
Can Your Smartphone Make You Smarter? Mobility Applications for Institutional Investors
Guest Contributor: Barbara Arnold, Vice President, Product Management, SS&C Technologies, Inc. Imagine you are an asset manager on the way to visit your largest client for your quarterly portfolio review. Now let’s imagine that big news hits the business world and the Yen takes a tumble, devaluing all of your Yen positions. While you know
Corporate Actions
Phase 3 Cost Basis Reporting: Top Challenges for Brokers
Guest Contributor: Stevie Conlon, Senior Director & Tax Counsel, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services Meeting the upcoming tax reporting requirements for the last phase of the cost basis law likely requires significant system overhauls for all brokers. Phase 3 debt reporting requirements present the most difficult system and tax data challenges yet. Given the complexity of
Buy-Side
Valuation Considerations for Illiquid OTC Derivatives
Guest Contributor: Matthew McFarland, Director, Business Development, CBOE Mandated clearing of certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps was recently completed with the addition of Category 3 participants on September 9. While the advent of mandatory clearing presents several challenges, one aspect that has garnered little attention is valuations. OTC market participants, accustomed to valuations
Corporate Actions
The Next Frontier of Corporate Actions Data: Context
Guest Contributor: Dan Retzer, SunGard’s XSP Across nearly every sector of business, we are seeing an evolution from systems of record toward systems of engagement. As the data that we are dealing with explodes exponentially through use of emerging and disruptive technologies such as social, mobile, and geo-location, the business applications and tools we have
Guest Blog
Establishing a Blueprint for Regulatory Change in Europe
Guest Contributor: Michael Sits, head of business consulting, SunGard’s Capital Markets The potential impact of regulatory reform on financial firms’ business models has never been greater. Short selling, EMIR, CRD IV, MiFID and MAD revision are only a few of the new pieces of European legislation. Tackling each one in isolation could result in a
