GARP Updated 2016-FRR Exam Questions and Answers by enya

When a bank has a large number of auto loans and finds it difficult to sell them individually, it can take the following steps to raise cash:

Packaging into a Securitized Vehicle: The bank can package these auto loans into a securitized vehicle, such as a collateralized loan obligation (CLO) or an asset-backed security (ABS). By doing so, the bank can create a portfolio of loans that can be sold as a single security.

Selling the Low-Risk Portion: Once the loans are securitized, the bank can sell the low-risk portion of the portfolio to investors. This part of the portfolio is more attractive to investors because it typically offers lower risk and stable returns, making it easier to sell compared to individual loans.

References: This approach is detailed in "How Finance Works," where securitization is described as a method for banks to sell illiquid assets by packaging them into marketable securities​​.

Consortium databases in the context of operational risk management:

Gather loss data from multiple firms to provide a comprehensive view of industry-wide risk events.

Contain anonymous information to protect the identities of the contributing firms while still providing valuable risk data. They do not gather information from news articles, use data only from the top 5% of the industry, or specifically map risk categories with causes.

Explanation:

The convexity of a portfolio of bonds is calculated as the value-weighted average convexity of the individual bonds. This considers the proportion of each bond's value in relation to the total portfolio value.

References Explanation based on portfolio management principles.

Banks may choose to keep commercial loans in their portfolio for several reasons. First, commercial loans often have an attractive risk-return profile (I). Second, due to their non-standard features, commercial loans are difficult to sell (II). Third, maintaining commercial loans can help sustain good relations with important customers (III). These factors combined make keeping commercial loans until maturity beneficial for banks.