Telephone: +44 (0)20 7920 9128
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.barbicanconsulting.co.uk
Independent expertise
Clients benefit from of years of experience but only for the time they need.
We provide independent expertise in treasury and markets. This includes market, credit, liquidity and operational risk as well as governance. Clients are banks, building societies and companies.
A non-disclosure agreement applies. The scope is agreed with the client and normally desktop and on-site work is required. Findings are reported at a senior level. Engagements can last a few days to a few weeks. Sometimes they are ongoing.
Many issues are not “black and white”. After discussion and evaluation, I recommend the appropriate course of action and where necessary support implementation.
Do we cover what you need? You can read about individual assignments below.
If you would like to take this further, we can be contacted here email
William Webster
Director, BCL
Displaying 1 to 25 of 25 results in total.
5th April 2017
Some people have specialist skills. Others are more rounded. That’s the way things are but it can cause concern. In particular, when NEDs have limited knowledge on which to draw when discussing specialist topics like treasury, markets and risk.
5th April 2017
Have you ever wondered whether what you are going could be improved? It’s a question that many clients have. They wanted to know if, over time, they’ve overlooked things. This is pertinent when the business grows and the regulatory environment shifts. Is what we have fit for purpose? A second and independent opinion helps….
5th April 2017
Measuring and reporting market risk takes resources. Particularly when systems are purchased. Data needs uploading. Policy need to reflect changes. Reports are developed. Limits are approved. Simple explanations are required. It all takes time and a little help can make a big difference.
5th April 2017
A fresh and independent opinion can uncover things you may have missed. That’s received wisdom. Done properly it provides the catalyst for meaningful Board discussion.
5th April 2017
A health check on what you are doing can give you comfort that things are heading in the right direction. For regulated businesses like banks it also gives some steer on what the regulator may want to review. After all being forewarned is being forearmed.
18th December 2012
How do you work out your cost of money? Is your FTP proportionate? Does it capture all relevant costs? Do you pass these on to products? Do staff understand why you do it? Is it fair to treasury and the rest of the business? Is there sufficient Board debate?
18th December 2012
Sometimes you have done all the necessary work for your ILAA but later on you need a thorough review in order to tighten things up. Why? Because eighteen months ago when you prepared things it took up a lot of time and resources and you knew that it would require a bit of TLC at a later date. Now things have moved on and regulation, as far as it can be, has become a little clearer. It's time to get some independent advice and expertise in order to feel comfortable that you can deal with any regulatory scrutiny.
12th January 2011
Not all banks have teams of people who can prepare an Individual Liquidity Adequacy Assessment ILAA. For small banks in particular the fear is that your ILAA doesn't live up to expectations and the regulator makes this clear in the SLRP. Read how one bank found a solution.
9th January 2011
Getting a fresh look at your treasury can give you a new perspective on the risks you are running and the things that you need to tighten up on. Why wait for the regulator? Here's one client's experience.
9th January 2011
An Individual Liquidity Systems Assessment (ILSA) is something that Simplified ILAS BIPRU Firms must prepare. It explains how liquidity risk is managed. For some firms it's a shock and time and resources can get stretched. Read how one client found the answer.
7th January 2011
How good are your dealing room procedures? What would happen if key members of your team left? Would key knowledge be lost? Read on and find how one clent found a solution.
6th August 2010
In the current environment building societies are finding it difficult to keep up with the changes that are affecting them. One area that causes concern is treasury. That's because it's a specialist area and regulation has become much more intrusive. A common difficulty faced by societies when dealing with treasury risk is the limited expertise that is available. This is where consulting can help you. It has a number of advantages:
3rd February 2010
The FSA insists that firms hold more liquidity. For many firms that means more Gilts and maybe a Reserve Account and that's an immediate drag on the NII. Whilst you can't disagree with the principles of regulation putting it into practice is a completely different issue. For smaller firms the problems caused are disproportionate. Here are 19 issues you need to think about.
16th January 2010
A trader will tell you that there is a simple rule to pricing. The starting point is the cost of hedging.
4th January 2010
You can eliminate almost all of the risk you have. But I bet you won't do it. That's because it's too costly.
6th December 2009
Unexpected gains and losses from foreign exchange risk can complicate running a company. At the moment you may be selling off currency on an ad-hoc basis and it's the first time you have considered managing the exposure what can you do? Here are 11 points that may help.
The Executive of this bank sought an independent assessment of the Treasury P&L. In particular the relative proportions attributable to customer business, internal transfer pricing and risk taking.
This retail bank used its treasury to manage interest rate and liquidity risk. The bank's management requested a detailed assessment of the structure, risk and strategy of the treasury together with recommendations for improvements.
The firm identified that counterparty credit exposures on OTC derivatives was adversely affecting the ability to trade. It was agreed that collateral management was a solution. But the firm did not want to invest in a collateral management system and have all the operational support issues.
The Executive reports (information packs) in many firms are detailed and complex. Many executives are not treasury experts and struggle with this level of information.
The traders were dealing in structured notes, these contained options. The options exposed the firm to certain risks. The in-house risk management system did not accurately identify and value the risks.
The senior management of this bank was concerned that their credit trading business had become isolated from the day-to-day business flow and there was little or no interaction from the bank's traditional customers.