Urban Investor's Dictionary: Derivatives

When you hear most people talk about the causes behind the Great Recession and the 2008 financial crisis the thing that many people point the blame to is derivatives. But when asked what exactly a derivative is, we are met with stutters and stammers. In a few words, a derivative is a bet on a bet.

noun

1. something that is based on another source.

In the world of finance it's a contract that derives it's value not from itself but based on the performance of an underlying asset. The price of the security is based from one or a group of underlying assets, such as stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, interest rates, and even market indices. The derivative itself is nothing more than a contract between two parties, with the value being determined by the fluctuations in value of its underlying asset or asset group.

Legend has it that the original derivative contract was between Aristotle and Thales over an olive transaction, and Aristotle wound up on the profitable end of the deal.


One of the most attractive aspects of derivatives is the flexibility in their structuring. Because the contract does not involve the purchase or holding of an actual asset, terms can be completely modified as the parties see fit. You simultaneously relieve yourself of ownership of an actual asset, while still being able to play in the market. There are a plethora of types of derivatives for all suits and purposes. In some cases derivatives can be used to speculate the price of an asset, hedge against risk on an asset, or circumvent issues with exchange rates.

The majority of derivatives on the market are traded OTC - or Over The Counter. These are unregulated, and typically present a greater risk to the counterparty than do standardized derivatives. Standardized derivatives are regulated and traded on an exchange.

There are however certain risks and criticisms attached to derivatives. Too much hidden tail risk and a in a phenomena known as "phase lock in" your hedged position can become unhedged at the worst moment, overnight. The double edged sword in the attractiveness of derivatives lies in leverage. Because of leverage an investor can use derivatives to turn a small amount of money into large returns rather quickly. However, just as quickly one can suffer losses far greater than one's initial deposit, often greater than one can repay.

An impressive collective $39.5 billion was lost in the past decade by banks such as AIG.


PayPath
Follow Us on

Artificial Intelligence

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

Looking for a job? In addition to encountering those annoying never-ending job interviews you may find yourself face-to-face with an artificial intelligence bot.

Companies worldwide increasingly use artificial intelligence tools and analytics in employment decision-making – from parsing through resumes and screening candidates to automated assessments and digital interviews. But recent studies claim that AI does more harm than good.

Keep readingShow less

The world of travel is not the same as it was two years ago. From the surge in "revenge travel" to the TikTok-inspired itineraries that make the most random destinations suddenly the most popular, there's so much about traveling that's out of your control.

What you can control — to some extent — is how much you pay for it.

Keep readingShow less

Southwest Companion Pass

There’s all this talk about solo travel. And for good reason — no wasting precious time waiting for others to get their act together, take the plans out of the group chat and actually buy the tickets. Going solo, you can be spontaneous. You can plan your trips according to your precise tastes. You can hop on any flight and fly awayyyyyy.

Keep readingShow less