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Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
A nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) is a credit rating agency (CRA) approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide information that financial firms must rely on for certain regulatory purposes. History The use of the term NRSRO began in 1975 when the SEC promulgated rules regarding bank and broker-dealer net capital requirements (). Prior to 1975, the SEC did not adopt specific standards for determining which credit rating agencies were "nationally recognized", and instead addressed the question on a case-by-case basis. NRSRO recognition was granted by the SEC through a "No Action Letter" sent by the SEC staff. Under this approach, if a CRA (or investment bank or broker-dealer) were interested in using the ratings from a particular CRA for regulatory purposes, the SEC staff would research the market to determine whether ratings from that particular CRA were widely used and considered "reliable and credible." If the SEC staff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Credit Rating Agency
A credit rating agency (CRA, also called a ratings service) is a company that assigns credit ratings, which rate a debtor's ability to pay back debt by making timely principal and interest payments and the likelihood of default. An agency may rate the creditworthiness of issuers of debt obligations, of debt instruments, and in some cases, of the servicers of the underlying debt, but not of individual consumers. Other forms of a rating agency include environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) rating agencies and the Chinese Social Credit System. The debt instruments rated by CRAs include government bonds, corporate bonds, CDs, municipal bonds, preferred stock, and collateralized securities, such as mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations. The issuers of the obligations or securities may be companies, special purpose entities, state or local governments, non-profit organizations, or sovereign nations. A credit rating facilitates the trading of se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pension Fund
A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any plan, fund, or scheme which provides retirement income. Pension funds typically have large amounts of money to invest and are the major investors in listed and private companies. They are especially important to the stock market where large institutional investors dominate. The largest 300 pension funds collectively hold about USD$6 trillion in assets. In 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that pension funds worldwide hold over $33.9 trillion in assets (and were expected to grow to more than $56 trillion by 2020), the largest for any category of institutional investor ahead of mutual funds, insurance companies, currency reserves, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, or private equity. The Federal Old-age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which oversees $2.66 trillion in assets, is the world's largest public pension fund. Classifications Open vs. closed pension fund Open pension funds suppor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egan-Jones Ratings Company
Egan-Jones Ratings Company is a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) that was founded in 1995 to provide "timely, accurate credit ratings." Egan-Jones rates the credit worthiness of issuers looking to raise capital in private credit markets across a range of asset classes. Typical issuers of rated securities include banks, asset managers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. Egan-Jones positions itself as unique among NRSROs for being primarily investor-supported, a structure designed to minimize the potential for conflicts of interest in assessing credit quality. Egan-Jones also provides ESG and proxy advisory services. History The firm was granted NRSRO status on December 21, 2007, making it the ninth such organization to be recognized by the SEC. In 2014, Egan-Jones became certified by the EU ESMA as a credit rating agency. In 2021, Egan-Jones became listed on the UK Financial Conduct Authority register as a certified credit r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Demotech
Demotech, Inc. is an American insurance rating agency headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that focuses on independent, regional and specialty companies in the Property and Casualty insurance (P&C) industry. It is independent from the companies that it rates. Differences An Insurance Rating Agency issues financial-strength ratings measuring a companies' ability to immediately pay claims presented. A Credit Rating Agency issues financial-strength ratings measuring a companies' ability to pay back debt by making timely principal and interest payments and the likelihood of default. Traditional companies such as AM Best, Moody's Investors Service, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings do rate insurance providers, but typically only large national companies. Demotech was founded in 1985 to provide financial analysis of, and actuarial services for, niche markets ignored by Big Three (credit rating agencies). The principals were Joseph and Sharon Romano Petrelli. The U.S. Securities a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morningstar, Inc
Morningstar, Inc. is an American financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was founded by Joe Mansueto in 1984. It provides an array of investment research and investment management services. With operations in 29 countries, Morningstar's research and recommendations are considered by financial journalists as influential in the asset management industry, and a positive or negative recommendation from Morningstar analysts can drive money into or away from any given fund. Through its asset management division, the firm currently manages over . The firm also provides software and data platforms for investment professionals, including "Morningstar Research Portal", "Morningstar Direct" and "Morningstar Advisor Workstation". History Founder Joe Mansueto initially had the idea for Morningstar in 1982 while reviewing mutual fund annual reports he had requested from several prominent fund managers. However, it was only after a year working as a stock analyst for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DBRS
DBRS Morningstar is a global credit rating agency (CRA) founded in 1976 (originally known as Dominion Bond Rating Service in Toronto). DBRS was acquired by the global financial services firm Morningstar, Inc. in 2019 for approximately $700 million. Following the acquisition, DBRS's operations have been integrated with Morningstar Inc.'s credit ratings business, Morningstar Credit Ratings, to create DBRS Morningstar. Overview DBRS Morningstar, which has offices in Toronto, New York, Chicago, London, Frankfurt and Madrid, is the fourth-largest credit rating agency by global market share, with approximately between 2% and 3% of global market share. DBRS comprises five affiliated operating companies – DBRS Limited; DBRS, Inc.; DBRS Ratings Limited; DBRS Ratings GmbH; and DBRS Ratings GmbH, Sucursal en España. Following the acquisition of DBRS and Morningstar Credit Ratings, Detlef Scholz was named president of the credit ratings business. Registered with the U.S. Securities and E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AM Best
AM Best is an American credit rating agency headquartered in Oldwick, New Jersey, that focuses on the insurance industry. Both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners have designated the company as a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) in the United States. Business AM Best issues financial-strength ratings measuring insurance companies' ability to pay claims. It also rates financial instruments issued by insurance companies, such as bonds, notes, and securitization products. AM Best publishes a series of printed and online resources of insurance professionals and publications. The oldest and best known is ''Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys & Adjusters''. Insurance publications include ''BestWeek'', a weekly newsletter, ''Best's Review'', a monthly digital & print magazine, and an online wire service called ''BestWire''. History Founded in 1899 by Alfred M. Best in New York City, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Three (credit Rating Agencies)
The Big Three credit rating agencies are S&P Global Ratings (S&P), Moody's, and Fitch Group. S&P and Moody's are based in the US, while Fitch is dual-headquartered in New York City and London, and is controlled by Hearst. As of 2013 they hold a collective global market share of "roughly 95 percent" with Moody's and Standard & Poor's having approximately 40% each, and Fitch around 15%. According to an analysis by Deutsche Welle, "their special status has been cemented by law — at first only in the United States, but then in Europe as well." From the mid-1990s until early 2003, the Big Three were the only "Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs)" in the United States — a designation meaning they were used by the US government in several regulatory areas. (Four other NRSROs merged with Fitch in the 1990s.) The European Union has considered setting up a state-supported EU-based agency. The Asian credit rating market is relatively diverse. Due to the reg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janet Tavakoli
Janet Tavakoli is the president of Tavakoli Structured Finance, Inc., a Chicago-based consulting firm. She has had three books published on credit derivatives, structured finance, and the 2008 global financial crisis. Education and background Janet is the daughter of a surgeon from Wisconsin and a nurse from Buffalo, New York. Her father died when she was 12. She grew up on the south side of Chicago and Oak Brook, Illinois, and received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1975. Just after graduating in 1975, she married an Iranian Ph.D. student and became Janet Tavakoli. The Tavakolis lived in Iran for over a year during the time the Shah was overthrown, leaving in 1979, three months after Ayatollah Khomeini returned.Interview on C-Span Q&A April 19, 2009. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Lewis
Michael Monroe Lewis (born October 15, 1960) Gale Biography In Context. is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to '' Vanity Fair'' since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He is known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance. Lewis was born in New Orleans and attended Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in art history. After attending the London School of Economics, he began a career on Wall Street during the 1980s as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers. The experience prompted him to write his first book, ''Liar's Poker'' (1989). Fourteen years later, Lewis wrote '' Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'' (2003), in which he investigated the success of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. His 2006 book '' The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game'' was his first to be adapted into a film, '' The Blind Side'' (2009). In 2010, he r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Big Short
''The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine'' is a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis about the build-up of the United States housing bubble during the 2000s. It was released on March 15, 2010, by W. W. Norton & Company. It spent 28 weeks on ''The New York Times'' best-seller list, and was the basis for the 2015 film of the same name. Summary ''The Big Short'' describes several of the main players in the creation of the credit default swap market that sought to bet against the collateralized debt obligation (CDO) bubble and thus ended up profiting from the financial crisis of 2007–08. It also highlights the eccentric natures of people who bet against the market or otherwise "go against the grain". It follows people who believed the housing bubble was going to burst—including Meredith Whitney, who predicted the demise of Citigroup and Bear Stearns; Steve Eisman, an outspoken hedge fund manager; Greg Lippmann, a Deutsche Bank trader; Eugene Xu, a quantitative analyst who c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ballangen, Beisfjord, Bjerkvik, Bjørnfjell, Elvegård, Kjøpsvik, Skjomen, Håkvik, Hergot, Straumsnes, and Vidrek. The Elvegårdsmoen army camp is located near Bjerkvik. Narvik is located on the shores of the Ofotfjorden. The municipality is part of the traditional district of Ofoten of Northern Norway, inside the Arctic Circle. The municipality of Narvik borders the municipality of Hamarøy to the southwest, Evenes to the northwest, Bardu, Gratangen, Lavangen and Tjeldsund (in Troms og Finnmark county) to the north, and Norrbotten County ( Lapland) in Sweden to the south and east. The municipality is the 10th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Narvik is the 57th most populous municipality in Norway with a popula ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
