Philippe Jorion

How can a municipal investment pool, which is supposed to be safe, lose billions of dollars? What are derivatives and how did they contribute to this tragedy? In December 1994, Orange County became the largest municipality in U.S. history to become bankrupt. By borrowing heavily and placing the wrong bets, Orange County Treasurer Robert Citron lost $1.7 billion of Orange County's $7.4 billion investment portfolio. "Big Bets Gone Bad: Derivatives and Bankruptcy in Orange County" is the first detailed description of the Orange County bankruptcy. Author Philippe Jorion, the only professor in Orange County who teaches and researches derivatives, is uniquely placed to understand the technical details of the portfolio and climate in the Orange County municipal government that encouraged the decisions that led to the bankruptcy. "Big Bets Gone Bad" provides an introduction to the U.S. bond market and details Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan's efforts to tighten credit. Its description of the $35 trillion derivatives market makes the losses of Barings Bank, Kashima Oil, West Virginia, and Metallgesellschaft more understandable. "Big Bets Gone Bad" explains what everyone should know about tax monies and public investments. Because nobody likes to lose $1.7 billion.

The essential reference for financial risk management Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, the Financial Risk Manager Handbook is the core text for risk management training programs worldwide. Presented in a clear and consistent fashion, this completely updated Sixth Edition, mirrors recent updates to the new two-level Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam, and is fully supported by GARP as the trusted way to prepare for the rigorous and renowned FRM certification. This valuable new edition includes an exclusive collection of interactive multiple-choice questions from recent FRM exams. Financial Risk Manager Handbook, Sixth Edition supports candidates studying for the Global Association of Risk Professional's (GARP) annual FRM exam and prepares you to assess and control risk in today's rapidly changing financial world. Authored by renowned risk management expert Philippe Jorion, with the full support of GARP, this definitive guide summarizes the core body of knowledge for financial risk managers. Offers valuable insights on managing market, credit, operational, and liquidity riskExamines the importance of structured products, futures, options, and other derivative instrumentsContains new material on extreme value theory, techniques in operational risk management, and corporate risk management Financial Risk Manager Handbook is the most comprehensive guide on this subject, and will help you stay current on best practices in this evolving field. The FRM Handbook is the official reference book for GARP's FRM certification program.

Since its original publication, Value at Risk has become the industry standard in risk management. Now in its Third Edition, this international bestseller addresses the fundamental changes in the field that have occurred across the globe in recent years. Philippe Jorion provides the most current information needed to understand and implement VAR-as well as manage newer dimensions of financial risk. Featured updates include:An increased emphasis on operational risk Using VAR for integrated risk management and to measure economic capitalApplications of VAR to risk budgeting in investment managementDiscussion of new risk-management techniques, including extreme value theory, principal components, and copulasExtensive coverage of the recently finalized Basel II capital adequacy rules for commercial banks, integrated throughout the bookA major new feature of the Third Edition is the addition of short questions and exercises at the end of each chapter, making it even easier to check progress. Detailed answers are posted on the companion web site www.pjorion.com/var/. The web site contains other materials, including additional questions that course instructors can assign to their students.Jorion leaves no stone unturned, addressing the building blocks of VAR from computing and backtesting models to forecasting risk and correlations. He outlines the use of VAR to measure and control risk for trading, for investment management, and for enterprise-wide risk management. He also points out key pitfalls to watch out for in risk-management systems.The value-at-risk approach continues to improve worldwide standards for managing numerous types of risk. Now more than ever, professionals can depend on Value at Risk for comprehensive, authoritative counsel on VAR, its application, and its results-and to keep ahead of the curve.