Solvency II

Pensions’ credit crisis

The markets’ swoon isn’t the only problem plaguing pension plans, according to credit derivatives dealers. They are also dangerously exposed to their own corporate sponsors. Navroz Patel reports on recent efforts to convince pensions to hedge this risk

Compromises allow Basel II to progress

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision said last month that there were no substantial issues remaining with the complex Basel II capital Accord, after a series of compromises involving the capital treatment of loans to small and medium-sized…

Clearing the obstacles

Credit quality is essential to every energy firm’s success, as recent problems at Aquila and Dynegy attest. Couple this with the post-Enron threat of increased regulation for OTC energy derivatives and it is clear that the energy trading market needs…

Basel II sets the pace for operational risk reform

Basel II is set to come into play in 2005, bringing a host of opportunities for vendors along with the new framework for banking supervision. Andrew Partridge examines the potential and some of the challenges for the suppliers and users of financial…

The Basel Accord: A tough nut to crack

Crafting a capital charge for operational risk has proven to be a project fraught with controversy. International regulators’ first attempt raised the industry’s hackles. David Keefe reports on recent – and further expected – compromises by the Basel…

Building for Basel

The 2005 implementation date for the new Basel II Accord – already postponed by a year – is looming large. Whilst the banking sector is steadily gearing up for the proposed changes, there are fears that some institutions may be left behind.

A spanner in the works

The US and Germany are in a standoff over Basel II’s capital charge calculation for SME lending. Without a compromise this month, the issue threatens to derail implementation of the Accord and the European Directive.