Firms must estimate expected credit losses (EL) to comply with accounting standards and unexpected credit losses (UL) to determine regulatory credit risk capital. Both rely on estimates of obligor probabilities of default (PD). Investors also pay close attention to credit ratings-derived from...

The Macaulay duration is a highly successful tool for measuring and managing interest rate risk. However, it employs restrictive assumptions which constrain its usefulness in a rapidly evolving market. The Basel II implementation and ongoing accounting standard reassessments highlight the...