User Needs

Each type of user in the rates market has different sets of objectives, but share the common goal of maximizing their return on investment at an acceptable level of risk, and/or obtaining the best possible cost for borrowing and other funding needs. If we look at the different users in the current market, we can discern a range of functional requirements for a rate optimization platform, some of which will be shared among a range of user types.

Note that this discussion is focused on the needs of these particular users to optimize their rate profile. Credit and counterparty risk management are not addressed here; the assumption is that these considerations are either minimized through the transaction mechanics (more on this later) or addressed in the pricing of the deal between the parties.