Explores how a relatively small amount of heterogeneous securities created turmoil in financial markets in much of the world in 2007 and 2008. The drivers of the financial turmoil and the financial crisis of 2008 were heterogeneous securities that were hard to value. These securities created concerns about counterparty risk and ultimately created substantial uncertainty. The problems spread in ways that were hard to see in advance. The run on prime money market funds in September 2008 and the effects on commercial paper were an important aspect of the crisis itself and are discussed in some detail. Charts and tables.

We explore how a relatively small amount of heterogeneous securities created turmoil in financial markets in much of the world in 2007 and 2008. The drivers of the financial turmoil and the financial crisis of 2008 were heterogeneous securities that were hard to value. These securities created concerns about counterparty risk and ultimately created substantial uncertainty. The problems spread in ways that were hard to see in advance. The run on prime money market funds in September 2008 and the effects on commercial paper were an important aspect of the crisis itself and are discussed in some detail.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.

In recorded financial history, there are almost no occasions, other than the present, where a significant portion of the global bond markets has been trading at negative nominal yields. Is this an anomaly or what will be the normal state of the financial markets in years to come? This monograph investigates the ongoing debate between the pros and cons of negative nominal yields and the economic rationale(s) that are used to justify or criticize underlying policies. Even in academic circles, few agree on the costs and benefits of negative yields. Surveying the global bond markets of the day, I find the impact of negative yields in almost all regions and sectors, though sovereign bond markets, which are closest to monetary policy, are the dominant category of bonds with negative yields. I next look at the participants in the negatively yielding bond market and at the motivations that justify their actions. The conclusion is that although different participants might have different reasons to buy negatively yielding bonds, their collective action is certainly responsible for creating a local equilibrium in which these markets clear. Central bank policy is the next focus in this monograph, and I discuss in depth the economic rationale as propounded by one such bank, the European Central Bank. I conclude with a discussion of the blurring lines between monetary and fiscal policy, which are likely to become centerpieces in future years as global sovereign debt levels rise. Next, I look at the influence of negative yields on other asset markets, such as equities, and especially derivatives markets, such as the demand for options. A discussion of potential risks then follows. The monograph concludes with a review of the impact of negative yields on nonfinancial aspects of society. Although the forecast is anything but crystal clear, the evolution of markets and economics in the years to come will undoubtedly be influenced by this massive economic experiment of negative yields.

A comprehensive, in-depth look at global debt capital markets in the post-crisis world Fully updated with comprehensive coverage of the post-crisis debt markets and their impact on key industry issues, Fixed Income Markets: Management, Trading, and Hedging, Second Edition offers insights into derivative pricing, cross-currency hedging, and new liquidity legislation. Written by Choudhry, Moskovic, and Wong, Fixed Income Markets is an indispensable read for anyone working in bond markets, interest-rate markets, and credit derivatives markets looking to better understand today's debt markets. This acclaimed book takes a unique look into the leading practices in bond markets as well as post-credit-crunch impacts on pricing that are rarely captured in textbooks. The new edition provides expanded coverage on a wide range of topics within hedging, derivatives, bonds, rebalancing, and global debt capital markets. New topics include: Dynamic hedging practices and cross-currency hedging Collateralized and uncollateralized derivatives, and their impact on valuation Callable bonds, pricing, trading, and regulatory aspects related to liquidity Rebalancing as a method for capturing contingencies and other complex imbedded risks As a bonus, the book includes reference information for statistical concepts and fixed income pricing, as well as a full glossary and index. Written in Choudhry's usual accessible style, Fixed Income Markets is a comprehensive and in-depth account of the global debt capital markets in today's post-crisis world.