JONATHAN MUROMBA
2012178104
FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Management of Financial Institutions and The Banking Crisis
Risk is uncertainty. The more risk one takes, the more he or she stands to lose or gain. One cannot expect high returns without taking substantial risks.
The outcomes are thrown open to uncertainty. In general, when we talk about risk, we focus on financial risk. In financial terms, it is the risk that a company or individual could lose some or all of the original investment, possibly resulting in inadequate cash flow to meet financial obligations. All wise investments follow risk consideration. To be successful, every investor must be able to identify and understand the types of risk they face across their entire portfolio.
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It had been widely known that problems with the banks in the US were due to the phenomenon of sub-prime lending for housing. Many of the loans had turned into toxic assets as borrowers failed to meet repayments.
Similar to Northern Rock, the banks continued to give loans in this manner as they too chose to securitize their loans because this method of trading appeared so profitable. This was a highly successful mechanism to operate until the number of defaulters increased to the point where these assets began to turn illiquid. Investors started to avoid securities as it was now evident many were flawed. Moreover, Northern Rock in their quest for greater financial returns found securities that attractive they also invested in them.
With trading slowing in the financial markets, many institutions began to react to the impending crisis by taking a more cautious approach to lending. In comparison Northern Rock were so focused on returning profits and generating growth that, at a time when monetary policy was tightening faster than expected, the bank had agreed to issue a tranche of mortgages at interest rates that were lower than those it had to eventually pay in the markets to finance them (The Economist, 2007, Lessons of the fall, 20/10/2007). In hindsight, this was a disastrous decision, which contributed to the impending shortfall in cash and ultimately the need to be bailed out.
The managerial failings of Northern
The mortgage crisis of 2007 marked catastrophe for millions of homeowners who suffered from foreclosure and short sales. Most of the problems involving the foreclosing of families’ homes could boil down to risky borrowing and lending. Lenders were pushed to ensure families would be eligible for a loan, when in previous years the same families would have been deemed too high-risk to obtain any kind of loan. With the increase in high-risk families obtaining loans, there was a huge increase in home buyers and subsequently a rapid increase in home prices. As a result, prices peaked and then began falling just as fast as they rose. Soon after families began to default on their mortgages forcing them either into foreclosure or short sales. Who was to blame for the risky lending and borrowing that caused the mortgage meltdown? Many might blame the company Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but in reality the entire system of buying and selling and free market failed home owners and the housing economy.
The financial industry had gone to several crises through the decades. Around 2008, Alex Preston notice that the investments banking industry was in a crisis. Big banks were closing its doors or selling out to other companies. As it was the case of the National City Corp.; the first ever American’s mortgage maker had to close its doors after taking a large amount of proprietary risk. Other big financial companies like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, to avoid having to go down the same way, became bank holding companies, which means that these companies could receive emergency federal funds.
As competition increased between savings and loans, banks, and credit unions, banks were eager to attract loan applicants in order to increase revenue and compete with other financial institutions. Jack S. Light, the author of Increasing Competition between Financial Institutions, said in his book that “commercial banks are diversifying their assets toward higher percentages of mortgages and consumer loans, and thrift institutions are seeking authority to diversify their loan structures. Moreover, mounting pressures are working toward, and have partially succeeded in, changing the authority of thrifts to include third-party payment accounts similar to commercial bank demand deposits.” (Light) Because of this eagerness to bring in new clients, they were willing to give out loans without checking into the financial stability of the borrower or the business that was requesting the loan. Unfortunately since the banks didn 't look into their clients’ financials adequately, many clients defaulted on their loans because they could not afford the payments, especially when balloon payments started.
American Airlines, Inc. (AA) is a major airline of the United States. It is the world's largest airline in regards to accumulated passenger miles. American Airlines took off on April 15, 1926 when Charles Lindbergh flew a bag of mail from Chicago to St. Luis in a DH-4 biplane. A year later the first passenger flight flew from Boston to New York, heralding the real first passenger airplane travel by American Airlines. A subsidiary of AMR Corporation, the head quarters of American Airlines is in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American operates scheduled flights throughout the United States and flights to Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Japan, the
Using Rhetorical Analysis for gun control Gun control is currently one of the most talked about subjects in America today, but knowing the difference between mass media and scientific studies can help you determine what the truth is and what is made up. Due to its high popularity the media tries to give gun control the most exposure possible. Using rhetorical analysis to determine the truth behind gun control can help you gain a better understanding of it. Finding statistics and facts will help uncover what the mass media isn’t fully telling you. It can help you find what is similar and different between the mass media and scientific studies.
Defined by Coopers textbook, risk is the exposure to the consequences of uncertainty and has two elements: the likelihood of something happening that has an impact on the project objectives, and the positive or negative consequences of something impacting the project objectives (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, & Walker, 2005)
Financial risk is the possibility that the company's cash flow proves inadequate to meet its financial obligations. It is also the term for many different types of risks related to the finance industry. There are many types of financial risks. The most common ones include credit risk, liquidity risk, asset backed risk, foreign investment risk, equity risk and currency risk.
EXAMINE THE FACTS. The housing market was making huge financial gains by misleading buyers into buying home that were out of their budget, lenders and originator created unconventional mortgages to people who were at high risk for default.
Increasing global connectivity and integration in today’s world ensures that almost any serious problem has worldwide ramifications. The global financial system can serve as a key example of this phenomenon. Very recently, Britain’s fifth-largest mortgage lender Northern Rock was rescued by emergency funding from the Bank of England. This made the Newcastle-based firm the highest profile UK victim of the global credit crunch that had been triggered by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US. The bank run on Northern Rock that followed was unprecedented in recent UK monetary history. The Overend Guerney crash of 1866 was the last recorded bank run
The United Methodist Church is among the most common denominations of Christianity in the United States. Its roots can be traced to missionaries sent to America from England for the Church of England, Charles and John Wesley ("Roots (1736–1816) - The United Methodist Church" Dec, 14). In many Cases, John Wesley was known to start the denomination of Methodism because of all his hard work and determination he put into perfecting his religion. In 1738 John Wesley felt his heart was “Strangely warmed” while at a prayer assembly just as he was beginning to loose hope for preaching. He began to preach from experience and with this led the movement for reform of his religion in England. He began to have followers, and in order to follow him, he
Risk can be defined as “The possibility of a (negative) event occurring”. Risk and uncertainty go hand in hand. When you are certain about something that you do then there is less or no risk involved. There is more risk when there is uncertainty about a particular outcome and you still go for it.
In their research study, Souder & Myles (2010) identify that risk is chiefly fundamental to investing. Böhringer & Löschel (2008) further add that there is no discussion of returns or performance that is deemed meaningful in the absence of at least some mention of the involved risk. However, the trouble for investors, who have just entered into the marketplace, involves the process of figuring where risk really lies, as well as what the difference between the various levels of risks. Relating to the manner, in which risk is fundamental to investments, a significant number of new
Concept of risk, risk assessment, risk management and how uncertainty affects the process will be discussed.
Risk management is an activity which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources. Some traditional risk managements are focused on risks stemming from physical or legal causes (e.g. natural disasters or fires, accidents, death). Financial risk management, on the other hand, focuses on risks that can be managed using traded financial instruments. Objective of risk management is
Risk management changed around the world since the bankruptcy of Enron in 2001 however, it was found by many that it was still not enough since the mortgage crisis of 2007 and 2008 took place after many risk management safeguards had already been put into place. One company emerged a leader among all others in what was failing in the mortgage servicing industry. The industry had sustained unprecedented losses and could be not able to deal with the ensuing financial meltdown that was about to occur. The company is Ocwen Financial. Ocwen Financial grew tenfold during the housing crisis due to their unique positioning and expertise in the mortgage servicing industry. It became the largest non-bank mortgage servicer at a place that many banks such as Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase would soon be placing their mortgage servicing with.