The subprime crisis and its consequences

Having started by describing the background to the crisis, the paper considers priorities for action by the financial industry, being: (1) improved transparency; (2) review valuation issues, notably the distinctions between IFRS and US GAAP on asset reclassification; (3) better risk management, with an appropriate mix of quantitative and qualitative metrics; (4) Improved market infrastructure, perhaps including a central counterparty for OTC derivatives; (5) an external review of ratings agencies’ processes; (6) enhanced liquidity risk management. An assessment of the measures taken by central banks to allay the crisis follows, and we conclude with an analysis of the strategic consequences for the financial industry.