Crypto went from obscurity to mainstream, encompassing traditional ones such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, to an expanded regulatory ecosystem of stablecoins, such as Tether and digital currencies, in which regulators globally are putting in place a regulatory structure—albeit not as fast, coherently, and innovation-friendly as some market participants would like. The much-entrenched crypto skepticism has yielded to crypto acceptance, whether from FOMO, greed, or YOLO; the reality is that cryptos—in one form (hopefully comprehensively regulated) or another—appear to be a growing asset class in the financial-investing ecosystem. That is the easy part; now begins the journey of navigating the thicket of regulations and regulatory actions that will surely follow from a variety of regulators.
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In the years following the 2008 financial crisis, manipulation attempts by LIBOR panel banks, false reporting, and declining liquidity in interbank funding markets generated doubt in LIBOR benchmark rates, and ultimately led to plans for their replacement with more reliable benchmarks. Without backing by underlying transactions, LIBOR depended more on expert judgment than quantifying true bank funding cost, and huge volumes of derivatives and cash products referencing it was a concern. Alarmed regulators established new benchmark regulation (BMR), and alternative reference rates (ARR) or risk-free rates (RFR) that comply with the BMR were developed and recommended by national working groups of several jurisdictions.
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In our latest installment of SS&C Dialogues, we sat down with industry experts to explore the 2022 outlook in banking, financial services and insurance, based on the event of Q1.
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Fundamental changes to working patterns, work models and employee engagement brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic are not going away. They’ve been embraced by many within the financial services industry, and for good reason. Employees benefit from greater flexibility, improved satisfaction and higher morale. Employers benefit from greater employee retention, increased loyalty and access to a wider talent pool.
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Momentum behind ESG investing continues to grow. Firms who develop a solid approach to incorporating ESG policies at both the firm and the fund level will have a competitive advantage over their peers.
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The IRS has now added two new schedules for pass-through entity tax returns, better known as Schedules K-2 and K3. The reason for these new forms is to accommodate the complex 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and provide consistency in reporting to partners and shareholders. The new schedules impact most partnerships and S corporations, beginning with the 2021 filing season.
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Even as interest rates trend upward and traditional fixed income investment vehicles reclaim some of their luster, insurers and other investors continue to show interest in private market investing.
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Fully integrating a robust ESG approach can be a steep learning curve. As interest in ESG increases, both regulatory pressure and investor expectations can change quickly.
Fund managers would do well to be prepared and get ahead of these needs.
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