Guest Contributor: Michael Walinskas, Chief Risk Officer, OCC The financial crisis of 2008 saw excessive risks in the over-the-counter market and lead to governmental intervention in a “Wall Street bailout” while listed markets and their central counterparty (CCP) clearinghouses performed well. This prompted global legislators and regulators to push for more OTC transactions to be
Back-Office
Rethinking Reconciliation
Guest Contributor: Michael Alexander, EVP & COO Business Process Outsourcing, Broadridge Financial Solutions Financial institutions can enhance risk management and reduce costs through a reconciliation global center of excellence. Timing is critical. The cost of falling further behind industry standards is rising. To date, the “path of least resistance” has been to create a series
Compliance
“What Is” The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)?
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a regulation enacted by the U.S. federal government to stem tax evasion by US citizens and residents using offshore accounts. Under FATCA, the government will obtain information to foster more transparency into offshore accounts. FATCA is projected to raise $7.6 billion in revenues over the next decade.
Hedge Funds
“What Is” The JOBS Act?
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, signed into law by President Obama on April 2012, is intended to encourage the growth of small businesses and start-ups by helping with funding and easing federal regulations in order to increase the national employment rate. A fundamental provision of the JOBS Act is the creation of an
Dodd-Frank
A LEI not from Hawaii
Guest Contributors: Nigel Jenkinson and Irina S. Leonova, Financial Stability Board The recently published FSB report entitled ‘A Global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for Financial Markets’ started with an introduction: “There is widespread agreement among the public authorities and financial industry participants on the merits of establishing a uniform global system for legal entity identification.
Corporate Actions
“What Is” Cost Basis Reporting?
Cost Basis Reporting (CBR) is the process of identifying the cost of a security, particularly in terms of the rules and regulations implemented by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Recently, CBR via brokerages underwent major changes as of Jan. 1, 2011 as a result of the Emergency Economics Stabilization Act of 2008, written to address
Data Management
The LEI: A Building Block for Enhanced Data and Risk Management
Guest Contributor: Marty Williams, Vice President, Reference Data Product Development, Interactive Data Corporation’s Pricing and Reference Data Business The introduction of a standardized Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) could deliver significant benefits beyond allowing regulators to more accurately monitor systemic risk. While we are at the beginning of a journey toward what could become a global
Compliance
ANNOUNCING: Keynote Speaker CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton
We are excited to announce that CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton will be the keynote speaker for our 7th Annual OTC Derivatives Operations & Processing Conference on November 14, 2012! His career spans 25 years in government service—working on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives, in the Senate, and serving in the Executive Branch during the
Compliance
“What is” Form PF?
Form PF (private fund) is a new SEC rule that requires private fund advisers to report regulatory assets under management, dubbed RAUM, to the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), an organization established under Dodd-Frank in order to monitor risks within the financial sector. The Form PF requirements are intended to provide risk exposure statistics regarding
Compliance
Less Means More
“Less Means More” three little words with a significant meaning. Unless you are talking about Regulation and Compliance, then “More Means More!” After the crisis in 2008, the financial industry needed to make changes in the regulatory system. But with these changes came frustration and confusion. For those of you who get overwhelmed with the