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Matthew Hartley is HR development manager at XL Capital which employs 3600 people across 30 worldwide locations. He previously worked as an HR consultant at Ernst and Young.

Asset liability management is a multi-dimensional set of activities. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to build a goal programming model for optimally determining the asset allocation and liability composition for Indian Banks.

The conceptual model framework has been developed and then tested for four banks that typically represent the Indian banking sector. Published balance sheet data were used for the model that span over 1995-2009. The veracity of the model has been tested in terms of its ability to project the optimum asset allocation and liability composition for the year 2010.

The model has been able to generate the optimum asset and liability mix that meets the goals set on the key drivers. The solution provided is realistic and compatible with the actual figures. Sensitivity analysis including current and savings account and interest rate changes has been successfully performed to study impact they cause on profitability.

The model provides an overall approach to asset allocation and liability composition based on past data reflecting the preferences and priorities of the banks with regard to their outlook on setting targets. This may change. The variables like return and risk are stochastic in nature.

The model demonstrated in this paper would be useful to the policy makers in any bank for decision support and planning in view of its ability to incorporate a large number of constraints. Changes in profit could be instantaneously captured through sensitivity analysis.

The goal programming model used here is invariant to the type of bank and year of consideration.

This paper sets out to analyze the current global financial crisis that originated in the US subprime mortgage market through the lens of the Kindleberger‐Aliber‐Minsky (KAM) paradigm as set forth in Kindleberger and Aliber's Manias, Panics and Crashes, to first examine the bubble's origins in the displacement caused by the internet collapse, the subsequent US recession, and the aggressive lowering of US interest rates. It shows how these events, combined with other technological and regulatory factors, resulted in a US housing bubble fueled by the aggressive securitization of mortgages by many large financial institutions, a reduction in their credit standards, and a lack of regulatory oversight. In this way it assesses the prime players in the process in terms of motivation and performance.

The paper explores how the process peaked and began to unravel as cash flows at the base of the financial pyramid built through securitization slowed. Once the supporting cash flow came under pressure and was questioned, several major players went bankrupt or took tremendous losses. It became apparent that risk and innovation had been improperly balanced, a prime characteristic of the KAM paradigm. Indeed, greed, innovation, and technology had combined to substantially reduce credit quality and increase leverage, vastly expanding the likelihood of a liquidity crisis and a substantial drop in the value of asset‐backed securities.

The analysis then examines why this effect had significant global dimensions, unlike, for example, the Japanese real estate and stock market collapse or the US internet boom and bust. The analysis also shows how market reactions have been in line with what might be expected under the KAM paradigm. It also conforms with what Robert Shiller and Edward Gramlich anticipated and with normal bank behavior in a credit crisis.

The paper assesses the policy responses to the crisis and their likely success under a KAM paradigm analysis. The proposed remedies already include the aggressive fiscal and lender of last resort monetary responses typical of the KAM paradigm but regulatory measures too. Further, as KAM notes, almost all booms and crashes involve scandals and scams. So not surprisingly there has been growing recourse to the courts seeking criminal and civil remedies. Also typical of such a dramatic boom and bust, governments are examining regulatory and legislative actions to address the current difficult economic and credit situation and to make sure that similar things do not occur in the future. But politics and a US presidential election are driving significant differences in approach. Under these circumstances what can the lens of the KAM paradigm tell us about the actions taken or proposed and what is or is not likely to work?

The business model of monoline insurers is to guarantee payments of debt issues in case of defaults by the issuer. Although sparse attention is given to monolines in literature, they play an important role in enabling municipalities and firms in refinancing. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of 181 articles from 1990 to 2020 from 23,130 records and a case study on the key monoline insurers. Key failure, success factors and demand for future monoline insurance are identified. Finally, the study explores monolines’ potential during COVID-19 and develops a framework for monoline governance and regulation.

The study follows Briner and Denyer and Moher et al. to implement the systematic review. The methodology involves ascertaining the motivation behind the review, and formulating research questions; aggregating relevant prior literature from scientific databases, conducting quality assessment and synthesising the data; and conducting extensive analysis for framework development. Case study methodology foundation phase focuses on understanding the research philosophy. The second phase involves documenting the procedures involved. The final phase involves collecting the relevant quantitative and qualitative material. In addition, collecting empirical data from numerous sources allows triangulation.

The review results of 181 articles from 1990 to 2020 show that peak article counts occur in 2010 and 2013 (nine academic studies) and in 2008 and 2010 (six industry studies). Over- and under-explored domains happen to be bond pricing (86 academic studies) and bond markets (36 industry studies) and corporate bonds (19 academic studies), respectively. The study highlights failure factors such as adverse selection, premiums mispricings, inadequate capital and regulation, untimely downgrades and governance issues; and identifies success factors such as conservative underwriting, early financing, competitor business acquisitions and obtaining put-back claims. Potential during COVID-19 is discussed and a monoline governance framework is developed.

Search and selection criteria distortions may lead to sample selection bias in systematic reviews. Issue is addressed by using different permutations of the search key words to refine the search criteria. Reference list of collected final sample of articles are perused to identify additional articles. It is difficult to obtain verifiable empirical data on the bond/monoline insurers or their insured products, especially for the structured finance sector. Most of the information available on data stream and firm’s quarterly financial reports for publicly traded monoline/bond insurers and credit rating reports are included to overcome this issue.

Demand for bond/monoline insurance still persists even in the USA. Although borrowing costs are low, obtaining bank loans would be challenging for municipalities and corporates with increased risks. Especially, given worldwide government stimulus on wages, most municipalities would possess reduced budgets for public finance. Monoline insurance can play a key role in financing such projects. Thus, it is important to understand their unique traditional and transformed business model and applicability during and post-COVID-19. Given the near extinction of bond/monoline insurers during the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC), an adequate framework for bond/monoline insurers as developed in this study is key for future business continuity.

There is significant interest, especially, from the industry on monolines as identified in our systematic review. Monoline insurance has major effects on taxpayers, government policies and bond investors. They aid in financing public finance projects that have significant societal impact. This study contributes by filling existing gaps in the literature, especially, from a behavioural, ethical and social perspective of the monolines, regulators, other stakeholders and new entrants to the industry during COVID-19. This study links prior finance theories to the impact of bond/monoline insurer’s during the 2008 GFC and their stakeholders involved that has societal implications.

This study can be differentiated from prior research on monoline insurers as follows: The study identifies, gaps, similarities, trends between prior academic and industry literature and develop a bond/monoline governance framework; identifies key failure and success factors during the 2008 GFC crisis to develop the governance framework and identify monolines’ potential during COVID-19; as opposed to most prior literature that only focus on one (Drake and Neal, 2011 analyse MBIA) or two key bond/monoline insurers, this study focuses on five key bond/monoline insurers in detail and all other key insurers as well in the empirical analysis section.

The payment of taxes is both a crucial corporate contribution to society and essential to good governance; but it is an under‐researched aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Hence this paper first seeks to examine whether companies that engage in tax avoidance through locating their headquarters in tax havens – or Offshore Finance Centres (OFCs) – make any claims to act socially responsibly. If so, the paper, second, aims to investigate how being based in an OFC impacts on the firm's commitment to key organisational stakeholders.

In the light of the sensitivity of the issue, the research questions are studied through an analysis of the content of codes of conduct that have been adopted by a sample of firms based in OFCs. The results are compared with a sample of US firms.

OFC‐based firms do indeed make claims that they engage in responsible business practices. However, the commitments by OFC‐based companies vis‐à‐vis key stakeholders fall in almost all cases short of those made by the sample of US firms.

With regard to CSR theory, the paper shows how organisational legitimacy is the result of a complex interaction between strategic legitimacy efforts by OFC‐based companies and isomorphic processes in the wider social system. In terms of CSR practice, the paper argues that claims to acting socially responsibly by firms that do not even fully meet their economic responsibilities to society may, in the longer term, undermine the very idea of CSR.

This research chapter argues lawyers, not just bankers, for good and bad have been involved in all aspects of the current financial crisis. Indeed after examining and assessing various civil causes of action related to the “Mortgage Meltdown” and its aftermath, it appears if lawyers had been less involved or had raised warnings about legal risks as well as economic ones, whether the financial impact would have been so disastrous and widespread. Indeed by raising cautionary flags earlier, lawyers might have better served both the clients’ and the public's long-term interests. This view thus complements issues related to criminally prosecuting mortgage fraud that has also seen explosive growth and where lawyers have again played central roles. Lawyers have been involved at the back end too in terms of legislation or resolving issues such as bankruptcies and foreclosures.

The chapter examines several causes of action the media have reported being raised by various parties and how they illustrate the role lawyers, regulations, and legislation have played in the origins and evolution of the current crisis. The cases explored involve individual parties and class actions. The chapter also analyzes in detail a case representing opposite ends of the origination and foreclosure closure spectrum by describing a derivative shareholder suit against corporate officers and directors actively involved in creating the subprime mess, who were then sued for covering up the inevitable results from failed loans in the reports to shareholders. It thus illustrates the legal complexities emerging from the abuse of complex financial and organizational structures impacting many investors. Finally the chapter concludes by arguing there is a public policy need not only for financial regulatory reform but also for a tightening in the professional standards and regulatory penalties imposed on lawyers involved in such transactions.

In this paper, the future trends and challenges of financial risk management are considered. First, the historical developments and current status of financial risk management are assessed. Then, key features of the financial industry in the digital economy are discussed. It is argued that the technology innovations, particularly in computing and telecommunication, will continue to have an important influence on the future development of financial risk management. Based the past and present of financial risk management as well as the general trends in the financial industry, some future trends and challenges of financial risk management in the digital economy are discussed. Finally, some implications for financial institutions, corporations and emerging economies are given.

Many of the recent cases of corporate collapse might have been avoided had company leaders been in a position to interpret the early signs of collapse. Existing financial models provide some indication of how to avoid failure, but these need to be supplemented by a holistic, strategic management approach. Recent experience in Australia underscores the importance of this integrated approach, and suggests that specific reforms to directorship and auditing practices might militate against failure.

In January 2008, in the midst of the subprime-mortgage crisis, Warren Buffett is looking for good investment opportunities for his almost $50 billion in cash. As usual, he has been patient and careful in identifying the right opportunities; however, the amount of cash in his company has grown considerably, and with so much cash sitting idle, returns could suffer. This case can be used to pursue several objectives: (1) to showcase Warren Buffett's leadership in the financial markets; (2) to understand his principles and the principles of value investing more broadly; (3) to understand Warren Buffett as both a thinker and a leader in the world of investing and as an agent of stability in a world of capital markets characterized by continuous change; (4) to discuss Buffett's investment decisions (Swiss Re, Burlington Northern, the funding of his own new bond-insurance business, BHAC) and the timing of those decisions in the midst of the subprime crisis and in an environment of increasing energy demand; (5) to discuss his decision not to invest in banks in the current environment as well as his largest investment, the philanthropic Gates Foundation; and (6) to understand some of the new market forces, such as sovereign funds, as providers of capital.

Purpose – This study investigates the status of related party disclosure in an emerging economy, that is, India. The reason behind concentrating on India is due to its opening of the economy in 1991 to attract foreign investment. Hence, it is significant that investors are provided with credible information. The accounting value of ‘secrecy’ underlying India and the voluntary nature of detailed reporting about related parties in this country further motivated the present study.

Methodology/Approach – The research method includes a content analysis of the ‘related party disclosure’ section of annual reports of a sample of Indian companies for the financial years 2002–2006.

Findings – Indian companies disclosed more than the required minimum level of related party disclosure as required in the Indian accounting standard. No association between related party disclosure with market capitalization, industry affiliation and foreign listing was found for the year 2006. However, when the scores of all the five years 2002–2006 were considered manufacturing and automotive companies disclosed more about related parties than diversified, service and technology.

Research Limitations – The limitations of our findings rests upon the fact that we have not examined the effect of factors such as the composition of management of each company and the presence of Indians/Non-Indians in management.

Originality/Value of the Paper – Most studies exploring disclosure practices are directed towards developed countries. The disclosure practices in developing countries is an under researched area. This paper contributes towards the existing literature by taking the case of an emerging economy, that is, India.