Financial Engineering and Engineering of Financial Regulation

As observed at least in last two decades, financial engineering has not only changed the way of doing business in finance world, but also has changed daily life of average citizens in the leading economies. Structured products named as weapons of mass destruction in some post-crisis comments. But it is fair to say that few people could understand the nature and risks of these instruments before the crisis. By using literature review and case study analysis, the author analyses how financial regulation and supervision have failed to understand/manage the financial engineering products during/before the global financial crisis. In this context, we discuss the measures to enhance good regulatory governance in engineered products. We conclude however engineered products have important benefits to the global economy, regulatory/supervisory structure should be improved for better firm/system wide risk management. Secondly, there are four components to improve prudential regulatory/supervisory framework of structured products. Those are, timely/effectively action to the balance sheet problems, to increase the effectiveness of the risk management, to improve independence and quality of prudential regulation/supervision and to increase accountability of supervisors.Financial engineering, structured finance, financial crisis, risk management, regulation

An Analysis of the Strenghts and Weaknesses of the Turkish Real Estate Market

Real estate is one of the foremost and traditional investments for Turkish household. In addition to this traditional demand, it has also observed that Turkish real estate market becomes one of the popular investment destination for foreign investors. 2003-2007 period would be accepted as the boom period for Turkish economy in general and real estate sector in specific. Although there are considerable opportunities in the market, both Turkish economy and real estate sector suffer important structural problems. Hence, the objective assesment for the Turkish real estate market requires a costbenefit analysis. In this paper, the author is attempting to reach an objective approach presenting both strong and also weak sides of market. The critical point is current deficiencies of the market may result negative impacts on further development. As a solution, we suggest that Real Estate Regulation and Supervision Agency should be established as a new government agency. To our view, primary expectation of this agency is to issue regulations/standards for real estate brokerage/ marketing/appraisal,and also housing finance to enhance consumer protection, public interest and market efficiency.Turkish real estate market, consumer protection in real estate, real estate appraisal, Real Estate Regulation and Supervision Agency

Review the Regulations of Financial Strength in Securities Firms in the Light of Global Crisis Lessons

However there are minumum self discipline regulations for securities firms, crisis has showed risk management standards must go beyond the minumum. There are two important deficiencies in turkish securities firms’ regulations of financial strength. The first is securities firms are using minumum risk management standards defined by the regulations. As observation, we may also argue that small firms can’t use sophisticated technics. Secondly, regulatory capital and financial risks defined by the regulations are essentially based on basel i standards. In this study, we argue that these deficiencies would be the reasons of inherent weaknesses in the industry’s risk management framework.Investment banking, global financial crisis, securities firms, financial strength.

Ponzi Finance from Mr. Ponzi to Mr. Madoff

Ponzi finance is a type of financial fraud based on the principle of continuous fund rasing arising from the newcomers to the system. Ponzi scheme is inherently but necessarily tend to financial failure/bankruptcy. In Turkey, there were at least three well known ponzi schemes after 1980’s. Those cases appeared in the Banking Crisis of 1982, illegal/unauthorized fund-raising of some companies in Anatolia in violation of relevant securities legislations and Titan case. After Madoff scandal in the U.S., ponzi scheme is again come up in the finance world. In this article, we examine the concept of ponzi finance in the context of several cases. More importantly, we also assess whether disciplinary tools, namely self/market/official discipline, would prevent ponzi schemes.Ponzi finansman, sahtecilik, Madoff, Banker Krizi

Global Financial Crisis and Mortgage Finance and Valuation Problems: An Assesment of the US and Turkish Mortgage Systems

Abstract After emerging from the U.S. real estate and financial markets, financial crisis has gradually become global. Due to both primary and secondary mortgage market problems in the U.S. are accepted as the essential reasons of the current crisis, it is believed that financial markets and real estate sector need a new design. In this paper, the author condiders the importance of real estate valuation in the origination of crisis and whether Turkish mortgage market has similar problems with the U.S. It is argued in the paper that real estate valuation is one of the most critical reasons of crisis. To implement effectively of the real estate valuation, market culture and knowledge are of great importance expected to developed by market players, NGOs, SROs, regulators, academicians etc. The author suggests that brand new establishment of The Association of Appraisal Experts of Turkey is important for the development of sound real estate valuation. But the next and bigger step should be a new property valuation legislation which should cover all relevant (and possible) real estate valuation rules and practices of the Turkish law/commercial life.Real estate, valuation, mortgage, global financial crisis

Global Financial Crisis, Problems in Official Discipline and Designing Optimal Official Discipline Framework

Global financial crisis, arising from real estate and finance sectors, has caused extra ordinary costs for the world economy. Problems in the public management model of the US finance and real estate sectors would be accepted as one of the important reasons of the financial failures in the US financial intermediaries. In this article, the author examines the impacts of inefficiencies of the official discipline structure, involving regulation, supervision and enforcement tools, on the global financial crisis. Additionally, we also analyze potential efficiency problems of design of the optimal regulatory structure. We conclude that official discipline structure may naturally imply inefficiencies based on its problematic/complicated nature. Therefore, the tool of regulation may offer only partial/limited solutions to the current problems.Global crisis, regulation, real estate

Does re-design of the policies on housing finance and supply help to solve housing question of Turkey?

Housing is one of the major socio-economic problems in Turkey. Widespread spontaneous settlements in urban area may be accepted as the sufficient criterion for the level of housing question in Turkey. Additionally, there are important quality problems in existing housing units. This problematic structure may be also explained by the lack of efficient housing policies and housing finance system. It seems after 2003 that housing policy of Turkey is essentially based on the Housing Development Administration‟s (HDA) pragmatic approaches. In this context, we may argue that the current housing policy is one-dimensional and also would be unsustainable in some perspectives. In this experimental research, the author attempts to analyze limitations and clear/potential problems of the housing policies of HDA. We basically analyze whether affordable housing problem is minimize with alternative policies and required incentives. In this context, we review housing subsidies and PPPs as the instruments of alternative social/private rental housing supply models. In a broader perspective, the original contribution of this paper is to examine private rental housing, social rental housing, urban renewal, micro-finance and housing production of REITs as the alternative housing supply/finance models to improve affordable housing. We conclude that these alternative housing supply/finance models may improve housing affordability and hence minimize the housing question in Turkey, if they can optimally design and required incentives may meet by the central/local governments.Housing finance, affordable housing, Turkish housing policies, TOKI (Housing Development Administration)

Risk Maps of Securities Firms

The idea of development of capital markets and hence securities firms had resurfaced after 1980’s in Turkey, the latest and probably the final liberal period of Turkish economy. First regulations on securities firm business appaeard after Banking Crisis of 1982 (or Banker Crisis). The number of securities firms were dramatically increased in Turkey during the first half of the 1990’s. But it has observed that the number has gradually decreased after this periodic movement. This tendency is still going on in the securities firm business (Coşkun, 2009a: 2). In this process, some argue that risk management problems were relatively less important in the failed securities firms. But, because of the problems of data availability and lack of proper reporting, it would be too optimistic to assume that all securities firm failures in the above period were related to market conditions. In this context, it is important to define specific risks of securities firms. To define sector specific risks is also important to develop ideal risk management framework for securities firms. Therefore, in this article, the author analyses the features of the securities firm business, typical balance sheet and industry specific risks.securities firms, risk, capital markets, Turkey

Bay Ponzi’den Bay Madoff’a Ponzi Finansman (Ponzi Finance from Mr. Ponzi to Mr. Madoff)

Ponzi finance is a type of financial fraud based on the principle of continuous fund rasing arising from the newcomers to the system. Ponzi scheme is inherently but necessarily tend to financial failure/bankruptcy. In Turkey, there were at least three well known ponzi schemes after 1980’s. Those cases appeared in the Banking Crisis of 1982, illegal/unauthorized fund-raising of some companies in Anatolia in violation of relevant securities legislations and Titan case. After Madoff scandal in the U.S., ponzi scheme is again come up in the finance world. In this article, we examine the concept of ponzi finance in the context of several cases. More importantly, we also assess whether disciplinary tools, namely self/market/official discipline, would prevent ponzi schemes

Does Power of Political Economy and Regulation Make Istanbul a Financial Center? (Ekonomi Politik ve Düzenlemenin Gücü Istanbul’u Finans Merkezi Yapabilir Mi?)

Turkey is well behind the many countries according to socio-economic development criteria. Activities aim to make Istanbul a financial center seem paradoxical due to less developed and risky characteristics of national economy and financial system. It seems that these activities have both economic and political rationales. Economic rationale of the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) project suggests that Turkish economy has transformed to a safe harbor. Political rationale of this project may imply that evolving economy politics of post 9/11 environment may create economic advantages for Turkey. It has observed that the tool of regulation is of central role for the idea of the development of a financial center in Istanbul. In this paper, by using literature and data analysis, we examine the chance of the success of the regulatory/bureaucratic approach for IFC project. We conclude that IFC project has weak internal dynamics and it occurred due to both its political attractiveness and also cyclical local/global economic/political conditions. But, it is not realistic to expect strong positive outcomes from the IFC project, if the project would focus only regulatory/bureaucratic approach