Guest Contributor: Peter Ellis, General Manager EMEA, BI-SAM Investment management is under great pressure. Volatile markets make accurate forecasting impossible and the growth in regulation increases the cost of doing business for all participants. Investment managers must find new ways of working to achieve more with less. Technology has a vital role to play in
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“What Is” Libor?
The London Inter-Bank Offer Rate (Libor) is the estimated interest rate, fixed daily, that banks in London use for bank-to-bank borrowing. Overseen by the British Bankers Association (BBA), Libor is calculated by producing the average interest rate submitted by the 18 most credit-worthy banks. Established by the BBA in 1986, Libor has become the global
Guest Blog
Should OTFs be Included in the Equities Market?
Guest Contributor: Simmy Grewal, Senior Analyst, Aite Group The 2008 financial crisis and the May 6, 2010 “flash crash” have spurred politicians and regulators across the globe to instigate regulation that will protect the safety of our capital markets. Financial crisis aside, the European capital markets regulation, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (dubbed MiFID
Buy-Side
“What Is” GIPS?
The Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS) is a set of voluntary, ethical principles that govern the reporting, valuation, advertising and disclosure issues of the funds overseen by investment management firms. The GIPS benchmarks are primarily used when investment managers present the results of their financial performance to clients or prospective clients. GIPS compliance provides prospective
Compliance
Webinar: IRS Form 8937 Impact on ROC Reporting for 2012 Form 1099 [Complimentary]
New IRS Form 8937 Puts Brokers Between a ‘ROC’ and a Hard Place for 2012 Form 1099 Reporting Return of capital (ROC) reporting season is here. Under the cost basis reporting law, brokers must now make basis adjustments for ROCs and other amounts reported on the new IRS Form 8937. With some 2,000 Form 8937s
Guest Blog
A 2012 Tax Reporting Challenge You Might Have Underestimated
Guest Contributor: Stevie D. Conlon, senior director and tax counsel, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services It seems investment tax issues continue to become more complex, and this year is no exception for the financial services industry—particularly given the multiple facets of the cost basis reporting law. One of the law’s requirements is that issuers of securities
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“What Is” The Fiscal Cliff?
The “fiscal cliff” metaphor refers to the downward swing in the U.S. economy that was expected to follow if Draconian tax increases and spending cuts took effect in 2013. The tax increases and spending cuts were a result of a debt ceiling agreement reached in 2011 between President Obama and Congress. The agreement followed a
Guest Blog
Reconciliation is the Key to Controlling OTC Derivative Exposures for the Buy Side
Guest Blog Contributors: Mary Harris (left), Business Manager TriResolve and Susan Hinko (right), Head of Industry Relations TriOptima The new year brings with it an onslaught of requirements for managing OTC derivative portfolios, cleared and uncleared alike; and also presents new challenges with parallel tracks for processing and collateralizing the transactions. While standardized credit and interest rate
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“What Is” Risk Management?
For financial services firms, risk management is the process of managing exposure and mitigating losses that can come via financial transactions. Risk management practices involve identifying and analyzing the potential losses of an investment and developing strategies that are consistent with an organization’s objectives to eliminate or minimize potential risks. Risk exposure can arise from
Data Management
“What is” Market Data?
Market data refers to the electronic streaming of prices, volumes and related information used for the trading of securities. Most market data emanates from trading venues such as stock and derivatives exchanges while reference data comes from issuers and is usually collected by market data vendors. Firms perceive price data via ticker symbols. Firms can
