Unit 9 - The global financial crisis: major causes; Pre-crisis leverage ratios of US investment banks; Majority of US banks' debt was short-term (as of 2009); Securitization markets nearly shut-down in 2008/2009; Approaches to financial regulation; The EU's financial reform agenda; Financial reform agenda: state of play; Increasing the capital reserves in financial institutions; "Basel III": strickter capital requirements; "Basel III": phase-in arrangements and capital buffers; Four major US banks: common equity-to-assets ratio; Strengthening supervision on both sides of the Atlantic; The new European supervisory architecture; Better and stronger regulation of CRAs; Executive compensation; Crisis management and resolution tools; Derivatives trading has grown exponentially; Enhancing transparency; Outstanding OTC derivatives; The regulatory squeeze on banking.