Insights from George Lagarias, Chief Economist, Forvis Mazars Economics Hub. The financial services sector is poised for growth due to deregulation and lower interest rates, enabling banks to expand loan books and recapture market share from private investors. However, global...
A follow-up to our previous analysis In our previous article - Navigating the new trade war: implications on Expected Credit losses - we explored the rise in provisioning needs triggered by both direct impacts (sector/geography-specific exposure to tariffs) and indirect...
Political background Since early 2025, under President Donald Trump’s second term, the United States has escalated tariff actions on a wide array of imports, reigniting global trade tensions. A series of key announcements* has introduced significant volatility into financial markets:...
As the impacts of climate risks become more pronounced, regulators and the insurance industry are under increasing pressure to refine risk assessment frameworks. This article examines regulatory developments, a critical review of climate scenarios and limitations of models within the...
In the wake of financial crises, the question 'Where was the board?' has become a rallying cry, reflecting the demand for greater accountability within banking institutions. Recent high-profile bank collapses underscore the necessity of robust internal governance frameworks that include...
As part of our annual series on “Top risks facing financial service (FS) firms”, we have identified and ranked the key risks for financial services business leaders in 2025. We discuss in the article below the top five areas that...
Forvis Mazars proudly participated in the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) 2024, held from 9-10 December in Casablanca, Morocco, and sponsored the awards ceremony. Below are some reflections on the state of play and future of Africa’s financial sector. In recent...
After several years of significant macroeconomic and geopolitical events such as the Covid-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, the return of inflation and rising interest rates, the year 2023 seemed to mark a form of stabilisation in the international environment...
The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) published the final texts of the DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) regulation in July. These definitive texts will come into effect in January 2025, enhancing digital operational resilience and IT risk management for all financial...
A day doesn’t seem to go by without there being another sustainability regulation announcement. This article is a whistle-stop tour around selected jurisdictions and provides an update on what has happened in the past few months, what is to come,...
In the ongoing digitalisation of the banking sector and the rapid growth of financial technology, banks increasingly rely on third-party service providers (TPSPs), including for some of their critical functions. This dependency introduces significant risks, as banks do not always...
Traditional methods of tackling financial crime are no longer effective in a world where bad actors use increasingly sophisticated techniques to exploit weaknesses in financial crime controls. With the establishment of a new European regulator, embedding the latest AI-enabled solutions...
On 24 February 2024, Ukraine and the rest of the world marked the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Despite extensive media coverage of the war and its geopolitical and socio-economic ramifications on Europe and the rest of the world, there...
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services continues to exercise C-suite minds. Not least, how to balance AI's benefits to enhance the customer experience and improve back-office operations with the ethical challenges that AI presents. Sparking the debate...
In the dynamic world of finance, regulatory updates play a pivotal role in shaping industry practices and safeguarding the interests of stakeholders. From strengthening anti-money laundering measures to fostering transparency in crypto-asset markets, recent months have witnessed a flurry of...
Operational resilience is the ability of firms to prepare for, prevent, adapt and respond to, recover and learn from operational disruption. It is a complex and multi-faceted challenge for cross-border banks to prepare for and respond to. This is because...
Following the 2007-08 global financial crisis, substantial deficiencies were identified in many banks’ risk data aggregation capabilities and risk reporting practices globally. This impacts banks’ ability to make timely risk decisions, creating risks not only for themselves but for the...
Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a branch of Machine Learning (ML) that is still little known to the general public. In this approach, an agent repeats actions and, depending on the result of these actions, receives a reward or punishment in...
We have identified and ranked the key risks for financial services business leaders in 2024 based on market research, regulatory insights as well as our assessment of the current difficulties facing firms. We discuss in this article the key takeaways...
We have identified and ranked the key risks for financial services business leaders in 2024 based on market research, regulatory insights as well as our assessment of the current difficulties facing firms. We also highlight the changes in risk rankings...
Mazars recently hosted a Financial Services INED Roundtable Dining Event in Dublin[1]. Over 50 financial services independent non-executive directors (INEDs) attended, from banking, asset management, funds and insurance entities operating across the EU and UK. The roundtable focussed on the...
Last October, the European Central Bank (ECB) initiated the preparation phase of the Digital Euro project, following two years of investigation and a proposal on the establishment of a digital euro published by the European Parliament (EP) in June 2023. In...
The European Central Bank (ECB) issued the SSM supervisory priorities for the 2024-2026 cycle on 19 December 2023. They sum up what institutions under the direct supervision of the ECB should expect in terms of areas of supervision, in 2024...
In January 2024, the European Central Bank (ECB) published its Climate and Nature Plan for 2024-2025. This plan aims to: clarify what actions the ECB intends to take to progress its climate and nature agenda; and define what banks need...
DORA is a legislative proposal that aims to improve the digital operational resilience and ensure the performance and stability of the financial system of the member countries of the European Union in the face of the risks associated with ICT...
In late 2023, and to coincide with COP 28, Mazars published its latest Sustainability practices survey on the progress banks and insurers have made in embedding sustainability into their businesses, our most comprehensive and information-rich report to date covering 404...
The Single Resolution Board (SRB) convened its annual conference on 13 February 2024 with a theme highlighting the focus for the year: ‘The road ahead: risk, readiness and resilience’. While significant strides have been made with the EU banking resolution...
In environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, materiality is crucial for enhancing transparency and accountability in sustainability and climate-related disclosures. Importantly, it helps identify and report on matters that are deemed significant, emphasizing their relevance to stakeholders. Materiality comes in...
On 29 June 2023, the European Union’s (EU) Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) entered into force. It is being implemented in stages depending on the provisions, between June and December 2024. The regulation, which provides clearer rules for crypto-asset...
The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into strategic planning is increasingly becoming a common practice among financial services firms. However, climate-related risks can also serve as drivers of financial risk for institutions. These risks can manifest through...
There is growing pressure for banks and insurers to incorporate C&E factors in their risk management frameworks (RMF). As a practice, it gives the ability to set clear thresholds for the climate impacts banks and insurers are willing and able...
There are increasing regulatory expectations globally for financial institutions to disclose and demonstrate how sustainability-related responsibilities are allocated within the organisation. In this respect, the increasing global trend towards mandatory sustainability disclosure frameworks continues to underscore the significant role that...
The regulatory requirements for insurance companies are becoming increasingly complex. In this interview, Marc Böhlhoff and Thomas Volkmer, Partners at Mazars in Germany, discuss the impact of this change on the industry and delve into what it means for the operations...
While the banking sector has shown resilience over recent years, the economic environment and geopolitical situation remain tense. So, what does this mean for risks to the banking sector? More specifically, what is the impact on capital requirements for banks...
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and Financial Stability Board (FSB) published reports in October 2023 on the causes and lessons learnt from the Spring 2023 banking turmoil. The BCBS report provides an assessment of the causes of the...
The IIF Annual Membership meeting is a setting for insights and perspectives from global financial regulators and senior financial sector executives on topical economic and regulatory issues. Being a forum with global coverage means that it is a valuable setting for...
DORA (the Digital Operational Resilience Act) is the key regulatory outlook for IT and Cyber risk between now and 2025. The European Supervisory Agencies have sought to strengthen the resilience of institutions by emphasising the need to evolve the approach...
Under IFRS 9, forward-looking information is a key component of Expected Credit Loss (ECL) calculations. However, forward-looking information requires a significant level of judgement, making comparisons difficult to navigate. Indeed, similar to the use of post-model adjustments, forward-looking scenarios have...
Despite banks emerging from the Covid-19 crisis in reasonably good health, the war in Ukraine combined with a global energy crisis and an uncertain economic landscape have once again put the spotlight on credit risk exposures. To better understand credit...
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, post-model adjustments1, or management overlays, have become an increasingly common and accepted mechanism used by banks to manage expected credit losses (ECLs). The number of post-Covid unprecedented events related to the war in Ukraine, energy crisis...
A recent major board reshuffle in one of Europe’s largest listed investment companies has focused attention on private investment valuations. It follows concerns raised by an ex-director over the robustness of the directors’ processes for approving investment valuations. The issues...
Revised list of uncooperative countries and territories for tax purposes published by the European Council The list of uncooperative countries and territories about tax is an important part of the external tax strategy of the EU. Globally, this strategy intends...
ACPR publishes report on automated AML/CFT transaction monitoring systems In 2022, the ACPR conducted a comprehensive thematic review, focussed on the automated systems utilised by the entities under its supervision. This entails entities implementing their obligations in terms of transaction...
The Eurofi financial forum is a setting for exchanges between European Union (EU) economic and financial regulators and senior financial sector executives from the industry. It occurs bi-annually alongside the Economic and Financial Affairs Council configuration (ECOFIN) meetings. This summary...
New measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing The European Parliament has adopted a set of stringent measures to strengthen the fight against money laundering and terror financing, alongside circumventing sanctions within EU. These regulations are presented by EU...
The European Commission published on 18 April 2023 a new legislative package aiming to adapt and strengthen the framework for crisis management and deposit insurance (CMDI), with an acute focus on small and medium-sized banks. This proposal, which follows the...
The rapid collapse of one of Switzerland’s most emblematic banks, following the demise of tech lenders on America’s west coast, has raised concern over banking stability. What are the consequences for the sector, the economy and for society? Gregory Marchat,...
Since the onset of 2023, regulatory news has been adorned with the latest European legislation, under the acronym DORA, adopted on 10 November 2022 by the European Parliament. Standing for the Digital Operational Resilience Act, it will apply to the...
The global climate crisis has triggered the financial sphere to address the way in which it conducts business. Climate risk consideration is currently growing in the banking industry but should also be considered by banks in the Credit Valuation Adjustment...
Following Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), together with other countries, imposed mainly economic sanctions on Russia. Since Russia's recognition of the self-proclaimed autonomous republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, followed...
For several months now, we have been in an economic and financial environment that we have not seen for some years. In May, inflation in the Eurozone reached 8.1%, with six countries exceeding 10%, while the United States recorded an...
The war in Ukraine, as well as the unprecedented sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States and their partners against Russia have had major consequences for financial services institutions. For foreign companies operating in Russia or Ukraine, the...
Since the European crisis management framework was established in 2014, there have not been many failing banks in Europe. However, the recent global health pandemic, combined with the ongoing conflict in Europe between Russia and Ukraine, could easily change this....
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February 2022 is considered the most significant geopolitical event since the Second World War. While there is no question of military intervention by the European Union (EU) at the moment, the EU...
The widespread use of working from home (WFH) during the pandemic, regardless of sector or geographical location has required organisations and their information systems (IS) management to be very agile in deploying or increasing their capacity for remote collaboration. Some...
The identification and management of non-performing loans or NPLs as early as possible by banks are among supervisors’ current high-level priorities. Indeed, when prudential, monetary, and fiscal crisis mitigation mechanisms are tapered, the weakening of borrowers’ creditworthiness could materialise, along...
Local and international trends have transformed the way banks operate, affecting their capital positions and profitability. In particular, ongoing digitalisation programmes and technological innovation continue to add pressure on traditional banking models, including the supply chain. While management’s focus on...
With the current ultra-low interest rate environment and market volatility having a negative impact on banks’ returns and, ultimately, their capital positions, operating models must quickly adapt and become more cost-efficient to maintain profitability. This drive for cost-efficiency has become...
Brexit, or the UK's departure from the European Union, became a reality on 1 January 2021. In terms of the regulatory impact for the financial sector, and the banking sector in particular, the UK being a third country, UK banks...
The Targeted Review of Internal Models (TRIM) was one of the largest projects by the European Central Bank (ECB) aimed at identifying potential sources of unwarranted or non-risk based variability in Significant Institutions (SIs) risk-weighted assets (RWA) from the use...
Click here to read 'Key takeaways & industry challenges following the ECB TRIM project – a focus on credit risk (Part 2)' As articulated by the ECB in its recent TRIM reporting, the 236 findings cover different key aspects of...
With more than half of the world’s fastest-growing economies located in Africa1, the continent’s economic outlook is a positive one. Average annual GDP growth since 2000 is over 5%, placing Africa as the second-fastest growing economy behind Latin America. Real...
One of the anticipated challenges in the transition from IBOR rates to risk-free rates (RFRs) is the management of its impact on quantitative models. The ones currently used for pricing IBOR-linked financial instruments account for term rates which are “forward-looking”....
An important milestone in the IBOR transition is the change in rates used by LCH and CME for discounting and Price Alignment Interest (PAI) calculations for USD OTC cleared swaps. Indeed, on October 16, 2020, they moved from using the...
The revised market risk framework – also known as the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (‘FRTB’) – not only impacts an institution’s regulatory capital charge calculation for market risk, but also affects operational, governance and business strategies. FRTB brings...
One of the major challenges of IBOR transition is the availability of historical data on alternative risk-free rates (RFRs) required to implement interest rate model changes or re-calibration. With the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) only published since April 2018,...
With COVID-19, being declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, financial institutions have had to shift most of their resources to mitigate the risks that have arisen. This has adversely affected important activities, one of which is market participants’ efforts...
Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have reverberated across every part of the global economy. Small businesses are struggling to pay their employees, banks are grappling with collapsing local economies, and many borrowers across the nation cannot meet their monthly mortgage...
The Risk-Free Rates Working Group (RFRWG) published an update on the impact of COVID-19 on the timeline for firm’s plans to transition away from GBP LIBOR on the 29th April. While the central assumption of LIBOR’s publication being ceased after...
The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) continues to support market participants in their efforts to transition from USD London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) towards the Securities Overnight Reference Rate (SOFR). Following the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) March 2020 statement that...
As we continue to feel the effects of the global pandemic, the banking sector, like many other sectors, now faces unprecedented uncertainty about the economic outlook ahead. While banks go into this pandemic in a stronger position than the global...
The expected 2021 disappearance of LIBOR requires robust fallback language for cash products and derivatives alike. Industry associations have taken initiatives to reform the historic fallback language of securities, with ISDA proactively leading the way on derivatives and national working...
Since Libor was first used in financial markets in 1986, it has become the foundation of the global interbank funding market. However, regulators ruled that Libor’s volatility during the last global financial crisis (GFC) and a rate-rigging crisis in 20121...
With Libor’s cessation date at the end of 2021 looming, global regulators are hastening their IBOR fallback strategies. Yet while market momentum has increased for multiple published RFR indices, among them the GBP SONIA, the EUR €STR, and the USD...
Financial market participants – at least the largest ones – are actively preparing for the expected discontinuation of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) after 2021. Transitioning towards a LIBOR-free world is a challenge that requires the involvement and coordination...
With little more than two years to go, Libor’s cessation date continues to near. The voluntary agreement of panel banks submitting to Libor will conclude at the end of 2021, from which risk-free rates (RFR) are expected to replace Libor...
With significant IBOR reform on the horizon, Mazars brought together industry experts, practitioners and regulators to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face. Speakers included the Bank of England Market Division’s Alastair Hughes, EFRAG’s Didier Andries and Mazars’ IBOR lead,...
A raft of recent consultations on Ibor reform indicates that we may finally be making some progress. We have seen the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) issue another round of consultations for Inter-Bank Offered Rates (IBORs) trying to solve...
Could the transition period towards the new alternative Risk-Free Rates (RFRs) be more complex than initially envisaged? The speech given by Edwin Schooling Latter, Director of Markets and Wholesale Policy at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), on the 28 January...
The whole financial system relies on reference interest rates, more precisely on InterBank Offered Rates (IBORs) whose integrity and reliability have raised some concerns since the 2008 financial crisis and the LIBOR manipulation scandal. These IBORs are used to determine...
Because of the 2008 financial and economic crisis, banks have accumulated billions of non-performing loans (NPLs) on their balance sheets. Even 10 years after this major economic event, the situation is not yet back to normal in some countries. In...
Digital transformation has expanded the need for security, continuity and resilience. Today’s business must embrace an enterprise risk management strategy that includes legal, regulatory and political considerations. Enterprises today face a significant level of security challenges across their organizations. IT...
In recent years, we have seen a tremendous surge of interest in measuring and managing operational risks, both as a result of regulatory developments in corporate governance and capital adequacy, as well as due to a growing realisation that an...
Non-performing loans (NPLs) remain at the forefront of the European regulatory agenda, with two major consultations run by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission (EC) over the recent weeks, both in relation to the introduction of minimum...
With Solvency II fully in force, the insurance industry has entered a new phase of transformational development. For many insurance companies, Solvency II has provided the opportunity to make better sense of risk and yet, insurance companies continue to operate...
Measuring banking risks is a difficult exercise, but striking a balance between simplistic and overly complex measurement techniques is the key to accurate risk measurement. This was the substance of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Chair of the Supervisory Board,...
Cyber as an organsational risk In 93% of data breaches, the targeted systems were compromised within minutes. 83% of the time, those breaches were not discovered for weeks, leaving the attackers with plenty of time to do their damage and...
There is a clear pipeline of jumbo disposal Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in Italy, thanks to the ECB push, however vendors will need to take into careful consideration a few factors in their decision, such as recent regulatory reforms of insolvency...
Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) are a key issue and will continue to be on the European agenda as a top priority for a long time. On the one hand, the ECB guidelines are already applicable, as they represent a best practice...
The European Central Bank (“ECB”) recently launched public consultation on guidance to banks on non-performing loans (“NPL”). Consultation periods runs until 15 of November 2016. As NPL harms the profitability, funding and capital of banks and more globally the real...
At a time when the European Banking Authority’s stress tests have provided valuable insights into the solvency levels of European banks, these banks are continuing their efforts to formalise the conceptual and operational framework of risk management. While changes in...
Banks prepare for the reinforcement of prudential supervision via the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). After successive waves of new regulatory requirements in recent years, the outlook for the calculation of risks and Pillar 1 capital requirements is becoming clearer. At...
The number of electronic money players in the European market has increased in recent years, from 4 in 2010 up to 48 in 2014*. Add to this the fact that numerous players beyond the banking world have also created their...
Since the 2008 crisis, the financial sector has been under scrutiny. Identified as one of the crisis root causes, the importance of risk management framework and risk culture and its interconnectedness to ensure the long run financial stability of each...
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