5 New Year’s Resolutions for Credit Analysts

1) I will think like an equity analyst.  In order to properly assess the credit risk of a company, you must understand what management is thinking.  Since management works for the owners of the company, not its creditors, you must think like an owner.  Is there a...

Risk Culture in Action

Risk culture is the way people behave about risk. But people, organizations, and risk are all complex and dynamic. It’s important to have a formal concept of risk culture, but perhaps the best way to explain it is through examples. Dan Sparks at Goldman Sachs In...

So What Exactly Is Risk Culture?

Consider the sad story of UBS. In 2007 it suffered $38 billion in losses on mortgage back securities, requiring a $60 billion capital infusion from the Swiss government to keep from going under. In 2008 it paid out $19 billion to clients it had duped into buying...

Risk Culture at MF Global?

By the time they grew to $1.5 billion, Michael Roseman, MF Global’s Chief Risk Officer, was concerned about the firm’s positions in bonds of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Belgium. He was worried the trade might endanger the entire firm if the financial problems...