Credit Default Swaps

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|Credit Default Swaps |

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|4/5/2009 |

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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

I. INTRODUCTION 3

II. DEFINITIONS 3

III. SOUNDS LIKE INSURANCE – BUT IT’S NOT 3

IV. TYPES 3

V. USES 3

VI. MARKET GROWTH & CHANGES 3

VII. REGULATORY ACTION 3

VIII. INTERESTING QUOTES 3

IX. CONCLUSION 3

REFERENCE LIST 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This paper will introduce the financial instrument of credit default swaps (CDS) by examining the types, uses, market growth, and finally the regulatory concerns surrounding them. CDS’s have taken quite a beaten in the media and in the US House of Congress recently, and for the most part, rightly so. Today, the economy is struggling and Wall Street is in ruins, and many are pointing the finger to the CDS beast that was set loose to run free 14 years ago. However, I’m not convinced it was the CDS product that was one of the leading causes of the current...