Model Risk Management & Model Validation

Access our experts and validate your internal models

We support you in completing your validation program

Our experts help our clients to deliver their model validation program and effectively and efficiently manage targeted reviews. From full-scale validation to specific review programs, we utilize proprietary tools and frameworks that reflect the latest industry and regulatory standards.

Model Risk Management & Model Validation

Setup & Information

What is ORE?

In this video, we give an overview
of what is Open-source Risk Engine (ORE):

... more

- How it was created (i.e. its history and original purpose)

- What it is now and who is currently using it- How it can be extended through already existing modules as part of ORE+

- How Acadia can help you expend it in many ways possible for your own purposes and needs through our expert services

- A high-level view on how to install and use it

How to install ORE?

In this video, we explain how to
install and test Open source Risk Engine

... more

How to install and test Open source Risk Engine
(ORE) in Visual Studio 2022
using the package manager vcpkg and CMake as a way to build the library.

We will provide you with step-by-step instructions on:
00:00 Introduction
02:11 Chapter 1 - How to download, install & configure vcpkg
05:10 Chapter 2 - How to download & build ORE
with CMake in VS with the "Open/Folder" option
10:05 Chapter 3 - How to run one of ORE examples

Files Configuration

Trades XML Files

In this video, we walk you through
the ORE XML trade detail specification

... more

In the context of ORE, these XML capture
the individual trade economics for any type
of OTC derivatives instrument.In particular,
we show a few examples of trades and their most common structure:
- Interest Rate Swap
- Equity Swap
- Bond Total Return Swap (TRS)
- Credit Default Swap (CDS)
- FX Forward- Equity Forward
- European Equity Option
- Interest Rate European Swaption
- Index CDS Option
- Equity_Digitial Option
- Equity OneTouch Option
- Equity European Barrier Option
- Cross Currency Swap Amortising

How to change the reporting currency?

In this video we explain how to change
the reporting currency when pricing a trade

... more

To illustrate how this works, we use data from the video "TA001 - Equity Option with Implied Volatility Surface" which is in EUR, then we configure the inputs files and finally, we add the required market data for a USD collateralization. This involves adding the followings curves in curveconfig.xml and todaysmarket.xml and all the corresponding market data in the marketdata.txt file:
- 1 EUR-USD Cross-Currency Curve
- 1 USD Discounting Curve
- 1 USD Projecting Curve
- 2 new EUR Projecting Curves

General Configuration & Master File

In this video, we explain the general setup
of ORE , how the master file contains
all information regarding the other input files

... more

It is recommended to watch this video when starting to learn about ORE as it gives a good overview of all the files involved when performing any analysis, from simple NPV to more complex CVA (some additional files are needed in this situation though).
There are 3 parts talked about for the master file:
- Setup: This part contains general information about the date of the calculation, the location of the input/outputs files, the verbosity of the log file...

- Markets: This part is useful when a specific market configuration needs to be created

- Analysis: This part provides information about the type of analysis that needs to be performed

Trades & Analytics

Interest Rate Swap

In this video, we explain how to setup
ORE to price an interest rate swap.

... more

In particular, we describe the following inputs files:
- Master (or ore.xml)
- Todaysmarket
- Curveconfig
- PricingEngine
- MarketData

Equity Option with Implied Volatility Surface

In this video, we explain how to setup ORE
to price an equity option with implied volatility.

... more

How to set up ORE to calculate the NPV of an equity option with implied volatility surface.
This is a good video to watch for beginners as it goes into a bit more detail regarding the connection between all input files than the pricing videos that will be produced next.

Technical Finance

Video Title

First bit of video description....Watch Video >

Video Title

First bit of video description....Watch Video >

Video Title

First bit of video description....Watch Video >

Model Risk Management & Model Validation Case Studies

Model Validation Front Office pricing at leading Nordic financial services group

Engagement Goal:

A client required a build of an independent Model Validation Unit for Counterparty Credit Risk, including policy, structure of validation activities, detailed validation tasks, approval and reporting processes, as well as the implementation and execution of the first complete model validation cycle.

Project Description:

Quaternion lead the implementation of an independent model validation unit, covering the organizational setup, policy definition, process setup, including approval and reporting processes, and definition of detailed validations scope. Our client passed internal and independent audits by the regulator with regards to the compliance of its model validation activities.

Front Office Pricing Models for global financial institution

Engagement Goal:

A global client required an independent model validation of their front office pricing model suite, covering all main product classes, i.e., Interest Rates, FX, Commodities and Equities.

Project Description:

Quaternion provided an independent quantitative model validation and benchmarking for a complete front office pricing suite. The model validation activities led to a major improvement program for the central components of the pricing models.

Model Validation Front Office pricing at leading Nordic financial services group

Engagement Goal:

A client required an independent model validation of front office mark-to-market methodology, taking into account all main product classes, including: Interest Rates, FX, Commodities and Equities.

Project Description:

Quaternion Quant Services provided an independent quantitative model validation and benchmarking for a front office mark-to-market valuation for a wide spectrum of derivative securities across all main product classes. Quaternion implemented it’s Open-Source Risk Engine (ORE) as a benchmarking tool to independently verify the front office valuations.

Swiss-based Tier 1 Global Investment Bank

Engagement Goal:

A bank required an independent model validation of an internal risk and valuation system for structured finance securities such as Asset-Backed Securities (ABS), Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS), Commercial MBS, Residential MBS, Credit Default Swap (CDS) on ABS and Total Return Swap on ABS.

Project Description:

Quaternion Quant Services provided an independent quantitative and qualitative validation of the bank's system used for marking and sensitivity analysis of structured finance securities. The bank's solution is based on a third-party vendor library and, therefore, the specifics needed to be taken into account. The validation included integration tests, input slider tests and consistency checks of the various marking metrics (yield, discount margin, Z-spread), the sensitivities (CD01, DV01) as well as WAL, duration and convexity. To validate that optionality is appropriately captured, we also performed consistency checks and benchmarks of the calculation of option adjusted spread (OAS) and its sensitivities (OAD, OAC). Quaternion delivered a full validation report in compliance with the bank's model governance policy.

Introduction to the Open Source Risk Project

Learn more with ORE Academy

Quantitative Derivatives Pricing and Risk Modeling Program

Learn more

Meet our Quant Services team and learn about their expertise