Derivatives are financial instruments used to manage risk. They consist of contractual agreements that establish transactions to be executed at a future date. The value of such transactions derive from the price of underlying assets, such as bonds, stocks, commodities, or currencies, explaining...

Referring to the role credit-rating agencies played in the most recent global financial crisis, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission – FCIC concluded that “… the failures of credit rating agencies were essential cogs in the wheel of financial destruction.” The reasons for such...