Rita Chakravarti

Interest rates are at all-time lows in many global economies. This makes it more attractive for consumers to take out additional loans, with money being very, very cheap. However, this may create a situation of adverse selection, with many banks reluctant to lend to higher-risk individuals who need the credit—what my fellow blogger Daniel Melo calls the profitability…

I recently attended an engaging conference jointly hosted by The Risk Management Institute and National University of Singapore that explored “risk management responses to rising systematic and systemic risks.” Among its distinguished speakers were various local and international banks, professors from NUS and National Taiwan University, the Federal Reserve, IMF and t…

In today’s world we as consumers are constantly bombarded with marketing messages -- through SMS, phone calls, web interface, credit card statement, email ... the list goes on. There’s so much noise that in many countries regulators are taking action against companies that are seen as overly aggressive with their outbound marketing. However, the majority of outbound…

My recent conversations with banking professionals in Asia Pacific has made one thing very clear: customer-centricity is all the buzz nearly in every conversation. Every bank is trying their best to attract customers by putting their best foot forward. Despite gloomy news on the economic horizon, particularly in Europe, the approach of customer-centricity is a very…

The past few months have been a roller coaster ride for the global investor community. Gold touched US1900/oz, a historical high indicating lack of faith in the stock market and other global currencies. Rumour has it that it may go much higher in 2012. Is the world going to face another recession? Yes or no. It depends on whom you ask. Numerous debates are going on.…

You may have read earlier this week about how Brazil, one of the fastest growing economies, is poised for great change in how it tracks consumer credit behavior. Brazil is not alone. After almost a decade of deliberation, Australia, too, is finally following the footsteps of positive credit bureau countries. In other words, they will for the first time track and analy…

It is an understatement to say that the financial crisis in 2008 has forced banks to think and operate differently. Compared with the Western world, many countries in Asia Pacific came out of the crisis much more rapidly. Asian banks have shown they’re able to adapt more nimbly to the changing environment and regulatory landscape, often because they have fewer or less…