Securitization Economics

This book examines the controversial issue of securitization in a global, historical context. It traces its origins and compares evidence of securitization across countries, linking differences to variations in legal, political, and cultural regimes. By incorporating the history and current status of securitization (including sources of value and risk) with alternative markets and future outlooks for the global market, Buchanan provides an overall assessment of the costs, benefits, and sustainability of securitization in the global economy, particularly in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The book also offers a roadmap for future research. As financial regulators around the world plan a sweeping overhaul of securitization markets with tough new rules designed to restore market confidence, it is essential to consider the global outlook for securitization.

Securitization is widely used around the world, and structured products are one of the largest fixed-income asset classes. This textbook guides readers through the complexity of this financial technique and first introduces them to the mechanics of securitization and makes the key concepts, techniques and logic of this field accessible for teachers and students alike. Further, the textbook presents a systematic economic analysis of securitization, asking and answering why it exists, how it works, why it has failed, how complex structures operate, why they are so complex, and many other related questions. The author offers a unique approach, and combines detailed discussions of theoretical economics models with advanced empirical research in order to confront them to the perspective of an experienced practitioner in this market.

Asset Securitization is intended for beginners and market professionals alike who are interested in learning about asset securitization—its concepts and practices. It is designed so that the readers will come away with a fundamental but comprehensive understanding of the asset securitization market. As such, the book aims to provide a review of the market's development, necessary framework, potential benefits, and detailed descriptions of major asset securitization products. Part I of the book, which consists of four chapters, will discuss the fundamental concepts, the funding efficiency, the market participants, and the potential benefits of asset securitization. An analysis of mortgage finance will be provided in Part II, which consists of six chapters that cover a variety of topics from the description of many different types of residential mortgages to the securitization of different types of residential mortgages, including the now infamous sub-prime mortgages. Also included are important topics, such as prepayments, cash flow structure, maturity and credit tranching, and the trading and relative value of the various mortgage-backed securities. The three chapters in Part III will explain the other major asset securitization products, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, credit card receivable-backed securities, auto loan-backed securities, and collateralized bond obligations. Part IV has two chapters: one reviews the collapse and the potential recovery of the asset securitization market, and the other describes the asset securitization efforts in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, and China. Extensive tables and charts are presented to help illustrate a concept or describe a product. Neither analytical discussions nor investment strategies of the various asset-backed securities are included as they are not the focus of this book.

The discussion in this note seeks to preserve the beneficial features of securitization while mitigating those that may pose risks to financial stability. A comprehensive set of reforms—targeting both supply- and demand-side inefficiencies—will be needed to put securitization back on a sound, growth-supportive footing. The note departs from others in proposing a broad suite of principles applicable to various elements of the financial intermediation chain. After indentifying where policy makers have already made progress, we then propose measures to address remaining impediments to the rehabilitation of securitization markets. We also encourage more consistent industry standards for the classification of risk (albeit applied at a granular rather than overarching level). Finally, we introduce various initiatives that could aid in fostering the development of a diversified non-bank investor base for securitization in Europe.

This paper builds on recent research by Fender and Mitchell (2009) who show that if financial institutions securitize loans, retaining an interest in the equity tranche does not always induce the securitizer to diligently screen borrowers ex ante. We first determine the conditions under which this scenario becomes binding and further illustrate the implications for capital requirements. We then propose an extension to the existing model and also solve for optimal retention size. This also allows us to capture feedback effects from capital requirements into the maximization problem. Preliminary results show that equity tranche retention continues to best incentivize loan screening.

Banks are usually better informed on the loans they originate than other financial intermediaries. As a result, securitized loans might be of lower credit quality than otherwise similar nonsecuritized loans. We assess the effect of securitization activity on loans’ relative credit quality employing a uniquely detailed dataset from the euro-denominated syndicated loan market. We find that, at issuance, banks do not seem to select and securitize loans of lower credit quality. Following securitization, however, the credit quality of borrowers whose loans are securitized deteriorates by more than those in the control group. We find tentative evidence suggesting that poorer performance by securitized loans might be linked to banks’ reduced monitoring incentives.

Introduction to Securitization outlines the basics of securitization, addressing applications for this technology to mortgages, collateralized debt obligations, future flows, credit cards, and auto loans. The authors present a comprehensive overview of the topic based on the experience they have gathered through years of interaction with practitioners and graduate students around the world. The authors offer coverage of such key topics as: structuring agency MBS deals and nonagency deals, credit enhancements and sizing, using interest rate derivatives in securitization transactions, asset classes securitized, operational risk factors, implications for financial markets, and applying securitization technology to CDOs. Finally, in the appendices, the authors provide an essential introduction to credit derivatives, an explanation of the methodology for the valuation of MBS/ABS, and the estimation of interest rate risk. Securitization is a financial technique that pools assets together and, in effect, turns them into a tradable security. The end result of a securitization transaction is that a corporation can obtain proceeds by selling assets and not borrowing funds. In real life, many securitization structures are quite complex and enigmatic for practitioners, investors, and finance students. Typically, books detailing this topic are either too lengthy, too technical, or too superficial in their presentation. Introduction to Securitization is the first to offer essential information on this topic at a fundamental, yet comprehensive level-providing readers with a working understanding of what has become one of today's most important areas of finance. Authors Frank Fabozzi and Vinod Kothari, internationally recognized experts in the field, clearly define securitization, contrast it with corporate finance, and explain its advantages. They carefully illustrate the structuring of asset-backed securities (ABS) transactions, including agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) deals and nonagency deals, and show the use of credit enhancements and interest rate derivatives in such transactions. They review the collateral classes in ABS, such as retail loans, credit cards, and future flows, and discuss ongoing funding vehicles such as asset-backed commercial paper conduits and other structured vehicles. And they explain the different types of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and structured credit, detailing their structuring and analysis. To complement the discussion, an introduction to credit derivatives is also provided. The authors conclude with a close look at securitization's impact on the financial markets and the economy, with a review of the now well-documented problems of the securitization of one asset class: subprime mortgages. While questions about the contribution of securitization have been tainted by the subprime mortgage crisis, it remains an important process for corporations, municipalities, and government entities seeking funding. The significance of this financial innovation is that it has been an important form of raising capital for corporations and government entities throughout the world, as well as a vehicle for risk management. Introduction to Securitization offers practitioners and students a simple and comprehensive entry into the interesting world of securitization and structured credit.

Securitization regulation remains, in the eyes of investors, banks, businesses, bureaucrats and politicians, one of the remaining unsolved puzzles of the post-Global Financial Crisis landscape. This book describes the key features of securitization, including the most common structures and their uses as well as the motivations of the participants in these markets. Important historical moments and case studies are frequently used to illustrate critical issues in the design and enforcement of regulation for securitized products. This work is intended to contextualize and contribute to the highly specialized debates between policymakers, regulators and the regulated financial intermediaries, setting out an agenda for discussion as well as providing some strongly held views on possible solutions. Written by an industry insider with over 20 years' experience in the markets, this book considers regulatory tools from all sides while avoiding common biases. It is a valuable source for not only regulators and policymakers, but also educators, students and researchers in financial regulation, financial engineering and investment management.