This is an assignment where you write to learn about a practical timely issue in global financial markets. These types of writing assignments are called "Exploratory Essays". Your objective is to develop an in depth understanding of an issue and convey your understanding in your essay.
Suggested Topics for Exploratory Essay
• How FED tapering will affect banking stocks? Will banks do better as interest rates increase?
• How did Quantitative Easing in the US and other developed markets affect emerging financial markets and what will be the implications of tapering?
• What are the implications of recent financial crisis on bank regulation?
• Why did Bank of America and JC Morgan Chase pay billions of dollars of fines? Explore frauds banks involved in and the consequences of these actions.
• What is Securitization and how it helped to ignite the global financial crisis?
• What is Volker Rule? What will be the implications of Volker Rule in Banking?
• What is LIBOR fixing and what were its implications in financial markets?
• What is Shadow Banking? Does the growth of shadow banking create risks for an economy?
• What is "too big to fail"? Why very large financial institutions may create big risks for an economy?
• Why executive compensation in financial sector is too high? What are the implications of generous bonuses in financial sectors?
• Why did MF Global fail? What are the lessons to take home?
• Credit Default Swaps: A to Z
• What is a global reserve currency? Will USD sustain its privilege?
Conducting Library Research:
1. Conduct a search for sources that offer accurate information on your topic. A minimum of 5 directly related resources (peer reviewed academic articles, working papers published by IMF, BIS, Federal Reserve, Think-Tanks like Brookings Institution, Petersen Institute of International Economics, WSJ, Financial Times, The Economist, Fortune etc.) are required. Note: An excellent place to start is in Shapiro library's List of Databases Electronic Resources. You can use Business Source Complete, WSJ, Lexis-Nexis to conduct searches by using key terms defining your topic such as "Shadow Banking" or "Sovereign Wealth Funds". Enter the key terms and start your search. Review the results and select the most comprehensive articles addressing your topic. Select a balanced mix of scholarly articles, major newspaper (WSJ, Financial Times, New York Times, Barron's Guardian etc.) and magazine articles (eg. The Economist, Fortune, Bloomberg-Businessweek).
2. Avoid general Internet key word searches. Wikipedia and other unauthorized sources are inappropriate for this assignment. While some blogs by well-known academics and industry professionals may be very useful, I do not want you to use them unless you check with me and receive my approval. Blogs as they are not edited resources and you may not be in a position to validate the content they offer.