This dissertation investigates agency problems within risk transfer contracts. We pay particular attention to the consequences of credit risk transfer in the context of banking. The first two chapters provide an introduction and literature review. We then analyze the effect of counterparty risk on financial insurance contracts in the following two chapters, and uncover a new moral hazard problem on the part of the insurer. If the insurer believes it is unlikely that a claim will be made, it is advantageous for them to invest in assets which earn higher returns, but may not be readily available if needed. We find that counterparty risk can create an incentive for the insured to reveal superior information about the risk of their "investment". In particular, a unique separating equilibrium may exist even in the absence of any signalling device. This constitutes a first example in which the separation of types can be achieved without a costly signalling device. Our research suggests that regulators should be wary of risk being offloaded to other, possibly unstable parties, especially in financial markets such as that of credit derivatives. The fifth chapter models loan sales and loan insurance (e.g. credit default swaps) as two key instruments of risk transfer within the banking environment. Recent empirical evidence suggests that the asymmetric information problem is as relevant in loan insurance as it is in loan sales. Contrary to previous literature, this paper allows for informational asymmetries in both markets. Our results show that a well capitalized bank will tend to use loan insurance regardless of loan quality in the presence of moral hazard and relationship banking costs of loan sales. Finally, we show that a poorly capitalized bank may be forced into the loan sales market, even in the presence of possibly significant moral hazard and relationship banking costs that can depress the selling price. / Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-26 13:03:32.81

This thesis studies the impacts of credit risk, or the risk of default, on the pricing of fixed income securities. It consists of three essays. The first essay extends the classical corporate debt pricing model in Merton (1974) to incorporate stochastic volatility (SV) in the underlying firm asset value and derive a closed-form solution for the price of corporate bond. Simulation results show that the SV specification for firm asset value greatly increases the resulting credit spread levels. Therefore, the SV model addresses one major deficiency of the Merton-type models: namely, at short maturities the Merton model is unable to generate credit spreads high enough to be compatible with those observed in the market. In the second essay, we develop a two-factor affine model for the credit spreads on corporate bonds. The first factor can be interpreted as the level of the spread, and the second factor is the volatility of the spread. Our empirical results show that the model is successful at fitting actual corporate bond credit spreads. In addition, key properties of actual credit spreads are better captured by the model. Finally, the third essay proposes a model of interest rate swap spreads. The model accommodates both the default risk inherent in swap contracts and the liquidity difference between the swap and Treasury markets. The default risk and liquidity components of swap spreads are found to behave very differently: first, the default risk component is positively related to the riskless interest rate, whereas the liquidity component is negatively correlated with the riskless interest rate; second, although default risk accounts for the largest share of the levels of swap spreads, the liquidity component is much more volatile; and finally, while the default risk component has been historically positive, the liquidity component was negative for much of the 1990s and has become positive since the financial market turmoil in 1998.

The objective of this study was to determine what impact, if any, interest rate subsidies have on the price of farmland in Canada. The basic capitalization model is used as a starting point for the development of several models. These econometric models are then estimated, using data from four provinces: Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The time period studied is 1972 to 1991. The findings indicate that interest subsidies do in fact affect land values, however the effect is relatively small. There are large differences between provinces in terms of subsidy amount and consequently in terms of the effect of the subsidy programs on the value of land in each province.

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This study addressed a gap in knowledge about the outcomes of in-kind agricultural microcredit projects on the welfare of the poor and ultra-poor smallholders. This research focused on an in-kind agricultural micro-credit project in Marrambajane village (Ch6kwe district, in southern Mozambique). Within the framework of the project, beneficiaries were given in-kind credit (seeds, fertilizer) to grow cash crops (tomatoes, onion, cabbage). To participate in the project farmers joined an Association which was part of a larger Union of Associations. The study measured the changes in material wellbeing of beneficiaries and development of social capital as a result of participation in the project. Material wellbeing was measured through income gene~ation and acquisition of assets through participation in the project. In addition, the sustainability of the intervention was also assessed. The study made use of a case study design adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods. Multiple data collection tools were used to collect data. Participatory methods were used to develop a wellbeing ranking of beneficiary households. A questionnaire was administered with beneficiaries (farmers) as the primary unit of analysis; this was used primarily to measure acquisition of assets and levels of trust in Association and Union. Data on amount of income generated and credit owed was compiled from the project archives. Observation was used to assess condition ofinfrastructure and equipment. The microfinance triangle model was used to evaluate whether the project had achieved poverty outreach, improved the welfare of participants and was financially sustainable. Findings showed that the project led to slight increase of income and household asset value. This increase of income and growth of household asset value was exclusively observed during the period of project implementation (2001-2004), and one year after the end of sponsorship (2005). While participating in the project, households ranked as 'rich' and 'middle' received 1.2 times more credit and 1.6 times more income was generated compared with 'poor' and 'poorest' households. While there is no evidence of a difference in average median number of items bought in each of the wellbeing categories, the monetary value of the items acquired appeared to correlate with household wellbeing categories. The project was successful in building social capital through formation and legalisation of Associations integrated into one fanners Union, the Union of Association Uamechinga. However, high levels of trust between the beneficiaries and project technicians and between the beneficiaries and the Union management team were not achieved. The project collapsed in late 2005. Based on my analysis I argue this occurred because of multiple factors. Firstly, the emphasis on farming tomatoes, a high return but unpredictable cash crop, was problematic. A more effective project design would include production of tomatoes in combination with more reliable crops such as rice and beans. Secondly, the project enforcement of loan repayments was very weak and there was extensive subsidisation of operational and administrative costs. Analysis suggested that the project was distributing income above the real profit generated by the fanners. It is recommended that future projects implement direct or indirect methods to achieve stronger levels of repayment. Thirdly, the project's irrigation system was inadequate. In spite of the fanners recommending a furrow system an unsustainable piped system was implemented. This reflects lack of communication between project technicians and the community during the project design, and partly explains the poor level oftrust between the project staff and fanners. I argue that to ensure sustainability of in-kind micro-credit projects like the Marrambajane case, stronger capacity and infrastructure must be in place before state and donor assistance is withdrawn. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The objective of this research proposal is to explore the extent to which credit derivatives can be used effectively by domestic financial institutions, in particular, Commercial Banks to hedge the credit risk associated with lending to the Small, Medium and Micro enterprise (SMME) market segment, thereby making lending to this market segment an attractive and viable banking proposition. The financial services sector in South Africa has come under severe criticism from Government, trade unions and the unbanked, low income earners for not fulfilling their social responsibility, in terms of, not banking the Small, Medium and Micro enterprise (SMME) customer base. In particular, financial institutions have been accused of ignoring or not giving sufficient attention to the financial/credit needs of this market segment. These parties have argued that many of the domestic financial institutions are applying standard credit criteria to this market segment, which they feel is incorrect. This has often resulted in SMME's having their requests for credit facilities declined by domestic financial institutions and then having to resort to approaching unscrupulous "loan sharks" for credit facilities, which facilities are often made available to them at exorbitant interest rates. The alleged reluctance on the part of domestic financial services institutions to make available credit facilities, in the form of start-up business loans and asset-based finance to the SMME segment has possibly hindered economic growth, productivity, employment and resulted indirectly in a host of other social anomalies. Alister Ruiters of the Department of Trade and Industry has been publicly vociferous in his attack on domestic financial institutions (Business Day, August18, 1999). It would appear these financial institutions are only prepared to do business with this market segment in partnership with Government, where Government bears a large proportion of the risk by providing guarantees or indemnities on behalf of the client. Examples of such guarantees include Khula and Sizabantu guarantees issued by agencies controlled within the ambit of the Department of Trade and Industry. Financial service institutions have defended their actions by countering that the credit risk attached to making loans available to the SMME market segment is often unacceptable to them. Many of these potential clients are characterised by adverse credit records, show little stability, in terms of, employment and domicilium and often do not have any tangible collateral available to support their loan requests. That is, the risk from lending to this market segment far outweighs the potential returns. Further, these financial institutions have argued that with South Africa having been accepted into the international fold and following the accelerated pace of globalisation, new markets have opened up for their shareholders. Hence, shareholders are requiring improved returns (capital gains and/or dividends); else they are at liberty to move their funds to other investment destinations. The pressure on domestic financial institutions to deliver consistently better returns on equity has been and continues to be a difficult one. This is exacerbated by the increasing competitive pressure from both retail competitors who are now offering financial services, such as Pick 'n Pay Financial Services, Woolworth's, and foreign financial institutions, who have entered the domestic scene. For many of the retail competitors the offering of financial services is seen merely as an extension of their product line. Existing infrastructure, in the form of, branches /outlets and technology are largely already in place. Further, they are not bound by the same liquidity reserve requirements imposed by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), as are the domestic financial institutions they now compete against. Hence, the retail competitors' profit margins are likely to be higher. Further, as many of the foreign financial institutions are not constrained by the same social responsibility obligations local financial institutions face and as they have not invested substantially in branch networks and other infrastructure in South Africa, their profit margins are higher and hence their returns on equity is likely to be significantly higher than the domestic financial institutions. Following the increasing popularity of Credit Derivatives in countries, such as, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and India, it is my intention to explore whether this instrument can be used effectively by domestic financial institutions as an hedging tool to insure against what they might otherwise consider unacceptable risk in the SMME market segment. That is, will the use of credit derivatives make the lending of funds to this client base an acceptable or attractive proposition to domestic financial institutions. However, we first need to define credit risk and credit derivatives before we proceed further. Creditex (Commentary, May 2001) defines credit risk as: "the risk of loss following default. " PriceWaterhouseCoopers defines a credit derivative as : "a credit risk management instrument that allows a financial institution to transfer credit risk to another party". Having, in simple terms, defined what we mean by credit risk and credit derivatives, we proceed by suggesting how credit derivatives can be used as an effective hedging tool and also some of the possible shortcomings that may be associated with the use of credit derivatives in South Africa. Cheow and Chiu (Managing Credit Risks, May 23,2001) suggest credit derivatives have the potential to transform the way in which Commercial Banks do business. The impact of credit derivatives is likely to result in changes in Bank's operating and credit models of assessment, pricing policies and offer insight into how products and services may be developed and implemented. Traditionally Banks appear to have been involved in all aspects of lending from origination to administration, monitoring and collection. These authors suggest the resulting credit model emanating from the use of credit derivatives is likely to only concentrate on origination of the loan with the view of later selling-off the book itself or insuring the credit risk. This latter alternative involves credit derivatives. We turn our attention to highlighting some possible constraints to the effective use of credit derivatives in South Africa. These are as follows :  Lack of effective infrastructure  Lack of liquidity  Lack Of Transparency  Restrictive Central Bank regulations and exchange controls  limited number of large financial institutions. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The Changing Landscape of Financial Services in Manitoba: A Location Analysis of Payday Lenders, Banks and Credit Unions ABSTRACT This study traces the emergence and expansion of payday lending outlets in Winnipeg and the rural Manitoba communities of Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Thompson and Dauphin during the period 1980-2009, in order to look for shifts over time in the site location strategies of payday lenders relative to mainstream banks. Location analysis, in the context of financial exclusion theory, is used to examine the spatial void hypothesis that mainstream banks have played a role in the rise of payday lending in poor neighbourhoods where traditional bank branches are absent or under-represented. It also considers evidence for the spatial complement hypothesis that payday lenders are not geographic substitutes for mainstream banks but are instead spatial complements, serving different segments of shared markets. Results of the goodness-of-fit test and location analysis based on population data suggest that the payday lending industry in Manitoba is not exclusively located in lower income neighbourhoods or solely located in areas where there is an absence or reduced presence of bank and credit union branches. Moreover, newer, suburban and rural payday lender outlets are almost always located next to mainstream banks and credit unions. The exception would be Winnipeg’s inner-city, where payday lenders are more densely located and where mainstream banks have gradually retreated. While multi-service establishments are shown to have first gained a foothold in poor neighbourhoods as cheque-cashers, this study examines the extent to which a focus on payday loans as the lead product has been accompanied by a shift to middle-income, suburban neighbourhoods and rural communities over the study period. The results of descriptive and OLS multivariate regression analyses provide further evidence of the changing relationship of location patterns of payday lenders to neighborhood characteristics, including mainstream bank presence, income level, poverty status, population density, age, education, family type and ethnicity. The implications these findings have for ongoing policy discussions about the status of the payday loan industry in Canada are discussed. JEL Classification code: G21 - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Microfinance Institutions; Mortgages

我國早年已與中國簽署《金融監管合作備忘錄》和《海峽兩岸經濟合作框架協議》，這標誌著兩岸經貿往來和金融合作進入制度化軌道，開啟了兩岸經貿關係的新紀元。自《海峽兩岸經濟合作框架協議》ECFA簽署以來，經貿聯繫及金融合作愈來愈緊密，兩岸金融機構及商貿企業信用業務大幅增長，信用管理將呈現跨地域、多層次、多元化的態勢。這時，徵信作為信用管理的起點和其基礎地位的重要性日益突顯，徵信領域廣泛且深入的交流合作愈發頻繁，兩岸徵信平台的彼此互相聯通將有助於形成良好的金融信用環境，而彼此徵信的聯通有賴於彼此對於對岸徵信業管理制度之瞭解。 本論文共分五章，第一章緒論;第二章針對徵信起源、定義、特徵、功能、分類及相關概念作說明，並介紹近代中西方徵信演進發展之概況;第三章以徵信機構體制為方向，說明徵信機構的定義、角色、分類、監管及設立退出條件，並對公共徵信機構與私營徵信機構進行比較。接著介紹世界上主要國家徵信機構發展之過程，並以此為基礎，對我國與中國徵信機構體制進行比較;第四章先點出隱私權與徵信間的衝突後，再介紹隱私權的內涵、發展，最後由隱私權衍生出信息隱私權之概念，並進而對徵信業務規則進行討論並比較我國與中國對於信息隱私權保護的差異性;第五章，總結兩岸徵信業之差異，期以之能作為兩岸共建聯合信息平台之基礎，並對兩岸信息共享提供未來發展方向之建議。 / Taiwan has signed "Financial Regulatory Cooperation" and "Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement" with China in the early years, which marks that the cross-strait economics, trade exchanges and financial cooperation has been in the orbit, which opens up a new era of cross-strait economics and trade relations. Since the "cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement" ECFA was signed, economic ties and financial cooperation are more closely. Substantial growth in cross-strait financial institutions, commercial enterprise type, and credit management will present cross-regional, multi-level and diversified trend. At this time, credit management between Taiwan and China can be as a basis to highlight the growing of more frequent exchanges and Cross-Strait economic cooperation. The establishment of Unicom credit information exchange platform between Taiwan and China will help create a good financial credit environment .For the goal, realization of the credit industry management system difference between Taiwan and China is a must. The paper is divided into five chapters: the first chapter is an introduction; the second chapter introduces credit origin, definition, features, functions, classification and related concepts, and makes an overview of the evolution and development of modern Western and Eastern countries; the third chapter discusses credit institution, indicating that the definition of credit institutions, the role of classification, the establishment of entrance and exit conditions, and the comparison between public credit institutions and private credit bureaus . Then, the paper introduces the world's major national development process of the credit bureaus, and on this basis, compare credit institution between Taiwan and China; the fourth chapter points out the conflict between privacy and credit, and then introduces privacy connotation, development, and finally privacy of information is derived from the concept of privacy. Then discuss the rules for the credit industry. Finally, make a comparison of Taiwan and China Information Privacy differences; the fifth chapter summarizes the differences between the two sides of the credit industry, in order that it can build a basis for cross-strait joint platform of credit information, sharing of credit information of Taiwan and China. Finally, the paper provides the future direction of the sharing of credit information between Taiwan and China.

Our current understanding of credit rating agencies’ influence on national sovereignty relies on a dichotomised and highly antagonistic view of the relationship between states and the global economy. This perspective is locked into the discursive confines of the structuralist-sceptics debate within the field of international political economy. CRAs are said to either erode state sovereignty or represent a manifestation of it. By abandoning the state-market, public-private and national-global dichotomies embedded within this debate, and the zero-sum mentality they are predicated upon, this thesis offers an alternative – “transformationalist” – perspective to view the power of CRAs and their influence on national sovereignty. Defying traditional categorization, CRAs’ power is the result of a state-market, public-private confluence of interest and therefore has no determinative influence on national sovereignty. In the course of this analysis, a second assumption embedded within the study of CRAs’ influence is criticised: the fixation on the “big three” rating agencies (Moody’s, S&P and Fitch) and the neglect of the significance of the credit rating itself. Because the rating determination process is opaque, and the credit rating itself is a highly simplified expression of an intricately complex financial, economic and political reality, the causes of a sovereign rating change are often “up for debate”. Governments, within certain degrees of interpretation, are able to embed their own domestic political interests into the “causes” of a rating change, thereby co-opting and co-constructing the power and expertise of CRAs. This can, when successful, enhance governments’ internal sovereignty over domestic social forces and their external sovereignty as they “filter” the influence of a non-state actor. New Zealand’s interaction with the CRAs throughout 2008 to 2012 illustrates how this dynamic occurs and its limitations. The thesis seeks to highlight the diversity and heterogeneity involved in the processes of globalization in general, and CRAs’ influence in particular, and in doing so open up political space to consider possible forms of resistance.