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In an April 2019 blog post, “Negative Interest Rates? – The Enigma Explored!”, GFMI examined the definition of negative interest rates, the reasons for negative interest rates, and the potential for a better option than buying a fixed income security with a negative yield. In this article we explore the…

In our LIBOR Schmibor article series, I introduced SOFR (See https://www.gfmi.com/articles/libor-schmibor-whats-next-sofr-part/). SOFR issuance continues to expand including the potential use in adjustable rate mortgages. (To view a user’s guide for SOFR, go to https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/Microsites/arrc/files/2019/Users_Guide_to_SOFR.pdf.) In this article, we intend to explore futures on SOFR, specifically 3-month SOFR futures (SFR) and…

FinTech Defined The recent growth of financial technology, or “fintech,” affects us in many ways. Upon hearing the term “fintech,” you may envision technology related to cryptocurrency, mobile payments, money transfers, crowdfunding, robo-advisors, and asset management. In its broadest definition, fintech is “technologies used and applied in the financial services…

For several years now, and as expected, numerous studies on the annual trends in the wealth management industry have been published, of which all of them – without exception – continuously emphasize the importance of embracing digital wealth management or to expect extinction. Last December, Capgemini, a technology services and…

In Britain, if you say that someone or something is ‘as safe as houses’, you mean that it is completely safe. But is this the case with Central Counterparties, which were designed to provide a level of security in taking on the risk between parties in financial transactions? In September…

It’s 420 In 1971 five high school students in San Rafael, California agreed to meet at a wall across the street from their high school. They called themselves the Waldos, and their objective was to find an abandoned cannabis crop using an old map created by the grower. The time…

There have been several significant regulatory changes to the financial services environment in 2018, and more are anticipated in 2019. Following is a brief summary of some of the most significant of those changes. Stress Testing Randal Quarles, Vice Chair for Supervision at the Fed, announced that changes to ease…

In LIBOR SCHMIBOR: What’s Next? SOFR Part I we covered the following topics: Explanation of LIBOR Potential replacements Repurchase agreements (repos) and Tri-party Repo International benchmarks Looking ahead This article looks to: Define SOFR Discuss applications and new products Update international benchmarks Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR): Definition and Features…

The LIBOR manipulation scandal has led regulators to recommend new money market benchmarks. This article briefly reviews LIBOR and what the potential replacements will be. LIBOR LIBOR, or London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, is a money market benchmark/index, less than one-year, that has been used throughout the financial/capital markets since 1986.…

Volatility in the stock market was subdued through 2017 as can be seen in Figure 11. Many people began to sell volatility to capture this “non-movement.” In trading parlance, it is referred to as a short vol trade. But in February of 2018, the VIX had a massive move up…

Settlement risk has been part of the capital markets since its inception. Blockchain is the new kid on the block. Can Blockchain, sometimes referred to as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), help mitigate settlement risk or is it all a pipe dream? Speaking of pipes, the industry infrastructure (sometimes referred to…

Part I of this article discussed electronic trading, the differences between algorithmic trading (AT) and high frequency trading (HFT), types of systems/platforms, exchange traded versus OTC transactions, and other considerations such as colocation. In Part II, we will address different strategies and the three main flash crashes/events. Automated Strategies Strategies…