Hidden Financial Risk


Book Description

An insider's guide to understanding and eliminating accounting fraud How do these high-profile accounting scandals occur and what could have been done to prevent them. Hidden Financial Risk fills that void by examining methods for off balance sheet accounting, with a particular emphasis on special purpose entities (SPE), the accounting ruse of choice at Enron and other beleaguered companies. J. Edward Ketz identifies the incentives for managers to deceive investors and creditors about financial risk and also shows investors how to protect their investments in a world filled with accounting and auditing frauds. J. Edward Ketz, PhD (State College, PA) is MBA Faculty Director and Associate Professor of Accounting at Penn State's Smeal College of Business. He has been cited in the press nearly 300 times since Enron's bankruptcy, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.. He has a regular column in Accounting Today.




Hidden in Plain Sight


Book Description

The 2008 financial crisis—like the Great Depression—was a world-historical event. What caused it will be debated for years, if not generations. The conventional narrative is that the financial crisis was caused by Wall Street greed and insufficient regulation of the financial system. That narrative produced the Dodd-Frank Act, the most comprehensive financial-system regulation since the New Deal. There is evidence, however, that the Dodd-Frank Act has slowed the recovery from the recession. If insufficient regulation caused the financial crisis, then the Dodd-Frank Act will never be modified or repealed; proponents will argue that doing so will cause another crisis. A competing narrative about what caused the financial crisis has received little attention. This view, which is accepted by almost all Republicans in Congress and most conservatives, contends that the crisis was caused by government housing policies. This book extensively documents this view. For example, it shows that in June 2008, before the crisis, 58 percent of all US mortgages were subprime or other low-quality mortgages. Of these, 76 percent were on the books of government agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When these mortgages defaulted in 2007 and 2008, they drove down housing prices and weakened banks and other mortgage holders, causing the crisis. After this book is published, no one will be able to claim that the financial crisis was caused by insufficient regulation, or defend Dodd-Frank, without coming to terms with the data this book contains.




All the Devils Are Here


Book Description

Hailed as "the best business book of 2010" (Huffington Post), this New York Times bestseller about the 2008 financial crisis brings the devastation of the Great Recession to life. As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on Wall Street, Main Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue? On greedy traders, misguided regulators, sleazy subprime companies, cowardly legislators, or clueless home buyers? According to Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, two of America's most acclaimed business journalists, many devils helped bring hell to the economy. All the Devils Are Here goes back several decades to weave the hidden history of the financial crisis in a way no previous book has done. It explores the motivations of everyone from famous CEOs, cabinet secretaries, and politicians to anonymous lenders, borrowers, analysts, and Wall Street traders. It delves into the powerful American mythology of homeownership. And it proves that the crisis ultimately wasn't about finance at all; it was about human nature. Just as McLean's The Smartest Guys in the Room was hailed as the best Enron book on a crowded shelf, so will All the Devils Are Here be remembered for finally making sense of the financial meltdown and its consequences.




Risk Management in Banking


Book Description

The seminal guide to risk management, streamlined and updated Risk Management in Banking is a comprehensive reference for the risk management industry, covering all aspects of the field. Now in its fourth edition, this useful guide has been updated with the latest information on ALM, Basel 3, derivatives, liquidity analysis, market risk, structured products, credit risk, securitizations, and more. The new companion website features slides, worked examples, a solutions manual, and the new streamlined, modular approach allows readers to easily find the information they need. Coverage includes asset liability management, risk-based capital, value at risk, loan portfolio management, capital allocation, and other vital topics, concluding with an examination of the financial crisis through the utilisation of new views such as behavioural finance and nonlinearity of risk. Considered a seminal industry reference since the first edition's release, Risk Management in Banking has been streamlined for easy navigation and updated to reflect the changes in the field, while remaining comprehensive and detailed in approach and coverage. Students and professionals alike will appreciate the extended scope and expert guidance as they: Find all "need-to-know" risk management topics in a single text Discover the latest research and the new practices Understand all aspects of risk management and banking management See the recent crises – and the lessons learned – from a new perspective Risk management is becoming increasingly vital to the banking industry even as it grows more complex. New developments and advancing technology continue to push the field forward, and professionals need to stay up-to-date with in-depth information on the latest practices. Risk Management in Banking provides a comprehensive reference to the most current state of the industry, with complete information and expert guidance.




The AMA Handbook of Financial Risk Management


Book Description

Business Insurance Magazine Innovation Award 2012 American Library Association Outstanding Business Reference Source 2012 Managing financial risk boils down to understanding how to reduce a complex business environment into workable concepts and models. The AMA Handbook of Financial Risk Management provides readers with the tools they need for dealing with the most important areas of financial decision making. Filled with strategies, principles, and measurement techniques, the book shows readers how to: * Categorize financial risks * Reduce risks from cash flow and budget exposures * Analyze operating risks * Understand the interrelationship of risk and return * Manage risks in capital investment decisions * Determine the value of common stock * Optimize debt in the capital structure Providing both explanations and practical applications, the book clarifies the key decision areas in financial risk management. This indispensable guide enables anyone involved in the financial management of an organization to know what factors are at stake and how to protect the bottom line.




Risk Management


Book Description

Bei Finanzinstituten spielt das Risikomanagement eine immer größere Rolle. Dieses Buch wendet die neuesten Techniken zur Erstellung von Finanzmodellen auf das Risikomanagement festverzinslicher Wertpapiere an. Geschrieben von zwei erfahrenen Experten im Bereich Risikomanagement, bietet dieser Band eine faszinierende Mischung aus Wirtschaft und Finanzen, Mathematik und gesundem Menschenverstand.




The New Financial Risk In The 21St Century Order


Book Description

In His Best-Selling Irrational Exuberance, Robert Shiller Cautioned That Society S Obsession With The Stock Market Was Fueling The Volatility That Has Since Made A Roller Coaster Of The Financial System. Less Noted Was Shiller'S Admonition That Our Infatuation With The Stock Market Distracts Us From More Durable Economic Prospects. These Lie In The Hidden Potential Of Real Assets, Such As Income From Our Livelihoods And Homes. But These Ordinary Riches, So Fundamental To Our Well-Being, Are Increasingly Exposed To The Pervasive Risks Of A Rapidly Changing Global Economy. This Compelling And Important New Book Presents A Fresh Vision For Hedging Risk And Securing Our Economic Future.This Special Low-Priced Edition Is For Sale In India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan And Sri Lanka Only.




Government at Risk


Book Description

Many governments have faced serious instability as a result of their contingent liabilities. But conventional public finance analysis and institutions fail to address such fiscal risks. This book aims to provide motivation and practical guidance to governments seeking to improve their management of fiscal risks. The book addresses some of the difficult analytical and institutional challenges that face reformers tooling up to manage government fiscal risks. It discusses the inadequacies of conventional practices as well as recent advances in dealing with fiscal risk.




Off-Balance Sheet Activities


Book Description

The objective of Off-Balance Sheet Activities is to gain insights into, and propose meaningful solutions to, those issues raised by the current proliferation of off-balance sheet transactions. The book has its origins in a New York University conference that focused on this topic. Jointly undertaken by the Vincent C. Ross Institute of Accounting Research and New York University's Salomon Center for the study of Financial Institutions at the Stern School of Business, the conference brought together academic researchers and practitioners in the field of accounting and finance to address the issues with the broad-mindedness requisite of a group whose approaches to solutions are as different from each other as their respectively theoretical and applied approaches to the disciplines of finance and accounting. The essays are divided into two sections. The first covers issues surrounding OBS activities and banking and begins with a brief introduction that places the essays into context. OBS activities and the underinvestment problem, whether loan sales are really OBS, and money demand and OBS liquidity are examined in detail. Section two, which also begins with a brief introduction, focuses on issues of securitized assets and financing. A report on recognition and measurement issues in accounting for securitized assets is followed by three separate discussion essays. Other subjects covered include contract theoretic analysis of OBS financing, the use of OBS financing to circumvent financial covenant restrictions, and debt contracting and financial contracting. The latter two contributions are also followed by discussion essays. This unique collection of papers will prove to be an interesting and valuable tool for accounting and finance professionals as well as for academics involved in these fields. It will also be an important addition to public, college, and university libraries.




Managing Financial Risk


Book Description