...Introduction The subprime mortgage crisis is a series of events and conditions that lead to the 2008 global financial crisis, which has caused the worst recession since Great Depression. The subprime crisis has made the five biggest investment banks become history and reduced thousands of American citizens begging on the street corners without a place to lay their heads. There is a proverb in China, “One can cope with the future by viewing the history”. Therefore, by reviewing the main causes of the subprime mortgage crisis and the impact it had on the global economy, we can figure out ways of avoiding a future crisis. * Background * Roots of the subprime crisis * Housing bubble * Homeowner wild speculation * Rapacious financial institutions * High-risk mortgage loans * Securitization practices * Governmental policies * Impacts * The U.S market impacts * The global market impacts * Ways of avoiding a future crisis A. Review the signs of the subprime mortage crisis 1. Rapaid appreciation in housing price 2. Monotonic degradation of loan quality B. Improve the supervision of the government 1. Improve regulation of the financial institutions 2. Policies to promote affordable housing 3. Community reinvestment act * Conclusion Subprime Mortgage Crisis I. Introduction The subprime mortgage crisis is a series of events and conditions that lead to the 2008 global financial crisis, which has caused...
Words: 746 - Pages: 3
...Products……………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Re-Securitization……………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Contribution of these products towards Financial Crisis…………………………………..8 Improper Risk Management role in Financial Crisis………………………………………….9 Risks………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 Market Risk……………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Credit Risk……………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Liquidity Risk……………………………………………………………………………………………………11 Interest Rates and the Financial Crisis………………………………………………………………12 Relation between low interest rate and financial crisis…………………………………….12 Role of Rating Agencies……………………………………………………………………………………14 Structure Finance Products and Rating Agencies……………………………………………..14 Regulations Then and Now………………………………………………………………………………15 BASEL II……………………………………………………………………………………………………………16 Enhancements of Basel II…………………………………………………………………………………18 The Resecuritisation Exposure Using IRB Approach………………………………………….18 The Resecuritisation Exposure Using Standardized Approach…………………………..18 Operational Criteria for Credit Analysis……………………………………………………………19 Securitization Liquidity Facilities – Standardized Approach………………………………19 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………….21 SOURCES …………………………………………………………………………………………………………22 Financial Crisis and Finance Introduction and Background: The financial crisis which peaked in 2008...
Words: 7702 - Pages: 31
...The Subprime Mortgage crisis ECO 2072 Principles of Macroeconomics In the beginning One of the first indications of the late 2000 financial crisis that led to downward spiral known as the “Recession” was the subprime mortgages; known as the “mortgage mess”. A few years earlier the substantial boom of the housing market led to the uprising of mortgage loans. Because interest rates were low, investors took advantage of the low rates to buy homes that they could in return ‘flip’ (reselling) and homeowners bought homes that they typically wouldn’t have been able to afford. High interest rates usually keep people from borrowing money because it limits the amount available to use for an investment. But the creation of the subprime mortgage opened a new door for those looking to accomplish the “American dream”. “Since, 1998 more than 7 million borrowers bought homes with Sub-prime loans. One million of those homeowners have already defaulted on their loans (Atlas , 2007). The of Rise Subprime Lending There are two types of mortgages in the U.S.: fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs), which allow a fixed amount of interest for the duration of the loan, and the adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are loans with variable interest rates. Subprime mortgages are a combination of both FRMs and ARMs, because they provide for a fixed rate for the first 2-3 years as “teaser-rate”, following this period the interest rate becomes adjustable semi-annually (Kirk). Subprime mortgage is a type of mortgage...
Words: 1595 - Pages: 7
...Week I: Discussion Question What role did the Accounting profession play in the recent sub prime mortgage crisis? What could they have done differently? In the beginning of this decade, the US interest rates were at record lows, subprime lending accounted for 80% of loans being issued (Senator Dodd: Create, Sustain, Preserve, and Protect the American Dream of Home Ownership, 2007). In order to lore new borrowers, banks more often than not offered adjustable rate mortgages to their clients which provided them with lower payments compared to those offered by traditional mortgages. As subprime lending grew exponentially, investment firms and banks saw an opportunity to take advantage of the boom by securitizing the loans into new investment vehicles called Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO)(Evans & Jain, 2010). As organizations grew their investments in CDOs, accounting professionals at these institutions played a role in misleading investors about their organization’s risks and financial health. As a way to minimize risk to their organizations, accounting professionals at a number of banks and investment firms used creative accounting maneuvers to move CDOs to Qualified Special Purpose Entities (QSPE). In doing so, they removed the liability of these assets from their organization’s books misleading investors about their organization’s health (Chasan, 2008). This kind of practice was used by several organizations including Citigroup Inc. which settled...
Words: 444 - Pages: 2
...profession play in the recent subprime mortgage crisis? The accounting professions played a critical role, and somehow were pointed fingers at mostly, in the recent subprime mortgage crisis. According to Chapter 1 of our book, the accounting professions analyze financial statements, which provide information that is relevant to make rational investment, credit decisions, and other informed judgments to users such as, investors, creditors, and financial advisors. However, accountants and auditors were not the only ones liable here. The subprime crisis was a big disarray, and everyone starting from the lenders, to the homebuyers, and to the investors had got to have a share to the blame. The lenders should be responsible for it because they were the ones who loaned monies to people with poor credit. The homebuyers should be as guilty as well for buying houses that they could hardly afford. Finally, the investors were to be held accountable since they were purchasing collateralized debt obligation (CDO) at low premiums instead of taking the rating at face value. Nonetheless, things happen – no one could have predicted the crisis, and sometimes it is inevitable. Yet, I believe the accounting professions could have prevented it because their job is to be independent, objective, competent, and most especially truthful with the information they evaluate. What should (could) they have done differently? Like I said above, the subprime crisis was inevitable, but it could...
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
...worst global financial crisis of the 2l century, which traced its origins to the sub-prime mortgage disaster that began to unravel in 2007. The shocks of global crisis are devastating: homeowners filed for bankruptcies and faced foreclosures in record high numbers, leading Wall Street firms such as Bear Sterns and Merrill Lynch crumbled under their massive exposure to sub-prime mortgage holdings that turned into toxic had assets and over $50 trillion in wealth had been wiped out within the last two years. No financial crisis since the Great Depression prompted many policy reactions as governments scrambled to map out rescue plans to restore stability and revive economic growth. The after effects of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown have left policymakers both in the United States and around the world struggling to restore growth and confidence in their economies. What are the causes behind the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis? Is one cause more responsible than another? Why of why not? The principal cause of the economic slowdown was the collapse of the global credit boom and the ensuing financial crisis, which has affected asset values, credit conditions, and consumer and business confidence around the world. The immediate trigger of the crisis was the end of housing booms in the United States and other countries and the associated problems in mortgage markets, notably the collapse of the U.S. sub-prime mortgage market. Conditions in housing and mortgage markets have proved a...
Words: 2076 - Pages: 9
...Introduction Within the subprime mortgage loan system which involved a relationship with brokers, lenders, and potential homeowners, many seemingly unethical practices were forged in the name of American families and individuals attaining part of the “American Dream” of owning a home. While this may neither have been the direct fault of neither party, each engaged in less than moral actions that played a part in the subprime mortgage crisis. Thus, the problem to be investigated is whether or not these ethical violations ultimately led to the fall of the subprime market by causing a catastrophic domino effect on all stakeholders involved. The article Subprime Loans- The Under-the-Radar Loans That Felled a Market by Marianne M. Jennings will be used to investigate this problem. Ethics of brokers and the isolation of individual ethical choices According to Jennings (2010), the subprime market offered a vast source of wealth to lenders because of the hassle-free and lenient criteria for qualifications for potential home owners (p. 434). As a result, lenders attracted mortgage brokers that engaged in questionable ethical practices such as using the same applicant for more than one application, processing numerous applications out of greed, and even committing fraud (Jennings, 2010, pp. 434-435). The first unethical decision brokers made was to offer loans to applicants they knew would not qualify for loans under normal circumstances. Potential homeowners expected brokers...
Words: 1738 - Pages: 7
...The recent subprime mortgage crisis in the United States had a devastating impact not only on the economy of the United States, but also on an international level. The only way that many of those who were involved can accept the crisis and their losses is to be able to put someone at fault, which poses the question, who is to blame? This question cannot be answered simply, and involves many complications which have been researched, examined and debated over the years to try to come up with some answers. The only substantial answer that has been formulated is that everyone that was involved in any way is to blame, each for their own reasons. The two main parties involved include the lenders (mortgage companies) and the borrowers (potential homeowners). Mortgage brokers and the US Government also played a part in the way the crisis unfolded, but fell somewhere in the middle. I personally agree that each of these four groups is, in a way, at fault. Borrowers are often seen as the victims, as they were deceived into buying loans that they could not afford, and were then forced to default on their mortgages. What most people do not know is that they are also responsible for deceiving the mortgage companies in return. When attempting to purchase a mortgage, an individual must complete forms containing information about themselves and their family, their economic history, and other information that would help to determine what kind of mortgage they might qualify for. It is fairly...
Words: 1071 - Pages: 5
...Subprime mortgage crisis is defined as a nationwide banking emergency that coincided with the U.S. recession of December 2007 – June 2009. This incident had been analyzed from various aspects as it redefined the world economy and the largest banking and financial institutions of the world. A major American financial services company Citigroup suffered the crisis caused by manifold contributing reasons that could be triggered and prevented prior to the crisis, is analyzed here. Secondary data had been used here to formulate the thorough study from sources like Reuters, Sonntag, Barnett-Hart. Excessive issuance of CDOs by Citigroup to reallocate risk, regulate capital relief and earn greater profit was the substantial reason of its distress. Besides insufficient risk management resulting from risk managers’ cronyism and retransfer of huge amount of troubled assets back into its balance sheet to avoid the forego of its institutional clients due to shadow banking added to the situation. The crisis resulted in a numerical loss of $18.72 billion and around 100000 job cuts during 2008 period. Government aid like bail-out and internal restructure was implemented by this giant institution to overcome the distress. An analysis, backed by the study of the overall mishap suggests that, providing Citigroup with independent risk management, credit rating of its internal departments with stricter regulations, audits and checking rather than profit oriented private rating agencies and deeper...
Words: 2059 - Pages: 9
...After the Great Depression, Unstated States had 40 years or economic growth without a single financial crisis. One of the main reasons of that achievement was that the financial sector was tightly regulated. Investment banks were small private partnerships. Thus, the money cycle was carefully observed. One of the few financial innovations was introduced in the 1970s when the Government National Association (Ginnie Mae) put together the first mortgage-backed securities (Mihm & Roubini, 2010). However, financial regulations radically changed in the beginning of 1980 as Ronald Reagen became the President of USA. He gave the starting point of 30 years of deregulations. The world of the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson “I sincerely believe... that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies” came popular. An important role into the deregulations played Alan Greenspan whom Reagan appointed as a chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank. He was also reappointed in Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush. An important for the volatility of the marker has the violation of Glass-Steagel act (which prevented banks with consumer deposits from engaging in risky investment banking activities ) by creating the Gream-Leach-Bliley act which overturned Glass-Steagel act. The American dream represents a set of ideas which are widely spread in the United States. The most important aspect of reaching the idea is represented in the ownership. It is a status symbol that differs...
Words: 1574 - Pages: 7
...The Subprime Mortgage Crisis and What to Do about It A Review of the Literature The fuse for the subprime financial shock was set early in this decade, following the tech-stock bust, September 11th, and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The subprime mortgage crisis is a historic turning point in our economy and our culture. The disruption in our credit markets is already of historic proportions and will have important economic impacts. More importantly, this crisis has set in motion fundamental societal changes – changes that affect our consumer habits, our values, our confidence to the future, and our psychological status. After this financial crisis, our economic went downturns and worsen now. When we talk about or hear about the subprime mortgage crisis, to fully understand the crisis help us to avoid the crisis happening again in the future. This literature review considers different opinions of the subprime mortgage crisis by responding to the following questions: 1. What are subprime mortgages? 2. How did the subprime mortgage crisis happen? 3. What are the causes of the subprime mortgage crisis? 4. Was the subprime mortgage crisis in the U.S. totally unexpected? 5. What to do to avoid it happening again in the future? By answering these questions, we can have understandings of the subprime mortgage crisis and find out the solutions to the crisis. When Americans taking advantage of the easy credit conditions, we take for granted the problems behind the credit...
Words: 2816 - Pages: 12
...What role did the accounting profession play in the recent subprime mortgage crisis? What could they have done differently? In all businesses, accounting is the backbone that holds them together. In stating this, the demise of the subprime mortgage industry lies within the bad practices of mortgage companies, banks and financial institutions. Allowing the lending of billions of dollars to non-credit worthy individuals was a disaster waiting to happen. During the 1980’s the subprime market comprised of approximately 5% loans and by 2005 they were at a record-breaking 20%. The decisions that allowed the increase of so many subprime loans have put this country in financial turmoil. The Subprime loan market allowed lenders to make loans to non-credit worthy borrowers, which included no-credit or bad credit individuals and those with stated income. These loans were attractive to a vast number of people because it was an offer borrowers couldn’t refuse. The little to no credit requirements and Interest-only and Adjustable-rate loans made borrowers believe they could live the American dream. The failure of risk management in these cases compromised the securitization of loans and debt obligations. The inability and/or lack of accounting principles have contributed to this country’s financial crisis, not to mention the global impact from defaulting on subprime loans. These issues still play an important role of the finance industry today. Now that the government has had to step in...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...focusing on subprime mortgages and the housing market bubble. The paper will also analyze Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how they are linked to the subprime mortgage crisis, including potential solutions to the crisis. References have been added to each section to show which references are being used in which section. References will be added as needed. 1) Abstract a. 120 word overview of paper 2) Introduction a. Introduction to the topic of subprime mortgages and the housing market bubble. b. Timeline of the crisis and housing market bubble burst 3) Discussion Content a. Definitions and background information on the following topics: i. Mortgages ii. Housing Market iii. Subprime Mortgages 1. Demyanyk, Y., & Van Hemert, O. (2011). Understanding the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Review of Financial Studies, 24(6), 1848-1880. 2. Karikari, J., Voicu, I., & Fang, I. (2011). FHA vs. Subprime Mortgage Originations: Is FHA the Answer to Subprime Lending?. Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 43(4), 441-458. doi.10.1007/s11146-009-9218-7. iv. Housing Market Bubble Burst b. Overview and causes of the subprime mortgage crisis i. Fixed mortgage versus floating 1. Demyanyk, Y., & Van Hemert, O. (2011). Understanding the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Review of Financial Studies, 24(6), 1848-1880. ii. High risk mortgage loans and lending/borrowing practices 1. Peterson, C.L. (2009). Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Home Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis. Loyola Journal...
Words: 970 - Pages: 4
...the cause of the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009” The 2008 financial crisis led to a sharp increase in mortgage foreclosures primarily subprime leading to a collapse in several mortgage lenders. Recurrent foreclosures and the harms of subprime mortgages were caused by loose lending practices, housing bubble, low interest rates and extreme risk taking. Additionally, expert analysis on the 2008 financial crisis asserts that the cause was also due to erroneous monetary policy moves and poor housing policies. The federal government encouraged the expansion of risky mortgages to under-qualified borrowers. Congress pushed for the support of affordable housing through extended procurement of non-prime loans for applicants with low income (Zandi, 2008). The cutting down of interest rates to low levels to supplement for technology bubble of early twentieth century and the effects of Sept 11, a housing bubble was created. This move facilitated individuals with poor credit to obtain mortgages in high percentage when lenders created non-conventional mortgages by offering mortgages with extensive amortization periods, loans with interest and payment alternatives such as ARMs. Ultimately, interest rates rose again and many subprime borrowers stopped paying for their mortgages when their interest rate were reset to higher monthly payments. Subprime mortgage is simply defined as loan offered to someone with a weak credit history. Since the 2008 financial crisis had its source in the poor...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
...How Business Ethics Relates to Subprime Mortgage Market By Wanda Thibodeaux, eHow Contributor Many people have lost their homes as a result of unethical suprime mortgage practices. The ability to have a home of your own in the United States typically depends on your ability to repay a mortgage, since most Americans don't purchase their homes outright. Because not everyone has perfect credit, a section of the mortgage industry involves subprime loans. In the wake of the mortgage and foreclosure crisis that began in 2007, the ethics of those in the industry is under scrutiny. Other People Are Reading How Do Subprime Loans Affect Business Growth? Code of Ethics for Business in the Philippines Print this article Subprime Mortgage Definition A definition of subprime mortgage is necessary to understand the relationship between the industry and ethics. Subprime mortgages are mortgage loans lenders provide only to those whose credit disqualifies them from receiving the best (prime) interest rates a lender can offer. A subprime mortgage by definition means that lenders work with those with a lesser ability to pay. Roughly 25 percent of all mortgages are subprime, according to Thomas Kostigen of the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch website. Fiduciary Duties and Ethical Problems Businesses typically operate under fiduciary duties, or obligations. These fall into two broad categories of loyalty and care. These duties essentially stipulate that a businessperson should...
Words: 584 - Pages: 3
