at Financial Technnology Year
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Features in Structured Finance Systems
for Investment Banking
Solutions for creating and managing complex financial instruments and structured products.
We ask vendors to mark their product against our feature list. It is not available for all products and in some cases we have derived data from publicly available sources. The list of features follows. Vendors can add a further 10 key features of their own.
Cash Flow Modeling & Analytics
Tools for modeling, projecting, and analyzing cash flows under various scenarios and assumptions.
- Analytics Metrics Calculation
- Calculation of IRR, WAL, Credit Enhancement, OC/IC ratios, etc.
- Assumption Management
- Supports storage, comparison, and historical tracking of multiple assumption sets.
- High-Speed Cash Flow Engine
- Performance of cash flow calculations for highly complex structures and scenarios.
- Multi-Scenario Execution
- Ability to run and compare results across multiple scenario assumptions (macro, credit, prepayment, default, etc.).
- Output Export Options
- Export results in various formats (Excel, CSV, PDF, XML, etc.).
- Parallel Processing
- Ability to utilize multi-core or distributed computing for faster analytics.
- Prepayment/Default Modelling
- Built-in models or flexible support for prepayment and default curves.
- Stochastic/Monte Carlo Simulation
- Ability to run large numbers of simulation paths for probabilistic analysis.
- Stress Testing
- Formal support for regulatory or internal stress test scenarios.
- Waterfall Transparency
- Clear visualization and breakdown of cash flow allocations and triggers.
Collateral Management
Support for managing asset pool characteristics, roll forwards, performance tracking, and substitution.
- Automated Data Import
- Seamless ingestion of collateral data from multiple sources/formats (loan tapes, XML, etc.).
- Collateral Substitution
- Supports asset replacements, eligibility checks, and exclusion criteria.
- Concentration Limit Monitoring
- Monitoring for regulatory or deal-specific exposure limits in collateral pools.
- Data Audit Trails
- Immutable, timestamped logs of changes to collateral data.
- Data Validation & Cleansing
- Pre-built rules for checking data quality and flagging anomalies.
- Historical Collateral Archiving
- Ability to preserve and retrieve prior versions of the pool.
- Integration with Master Servicer
- Enables secure/integrated feed with third-party or internal servicer systems.
- Loan-Level Tracking
- Tracks individual assets throughout their lifecycle.
- Pool Stratification Reporting
- Ability to generate reports by asset stratification (by FICO, LTV, sector, etc.).
- Real-Time Collateral Updates
- How quickly the system can refresh for new/updated collateral data.
Core Deal Structuring & Management
Features enabling definition, structuring, modeling, and administration of structured finance products, including asset-backed securities, CDOs, CLOs, and similar instruments.
- Automated Deal Maintenance
- Automated annual or periodic updates to deal documents and triggers.
- Collateral Pool Setup
- Support for defining and maintaining pools of assets (e.g., loans, mortgages, receivables).
- Concurrent Deal Support
- Number of deals the system can model and maintain simultaneously.
- Deal Replication/Cloning
- Ability to replicate existing deals with changes for new issuance.
- Dynamic Waterfall Configuration
- Allows customization of cash flow waterfalls with triggers, step-downs, OC/IC tests, and priorities.
- Flexible Deal Structure Modeling
- Ability to create and customize detailed deal structures, including waterfall logic and multiple tranches.
- Limitless Tranche Creation
- Capacity to define a large number of tranches per deal.
- Multiple Asset Class Support
- Capability to handle diverse collateral types (RMBS, CMBS, ABS, etc.).
- Securitization Event Tracking
- Tracks key events and milestones over the lifecycle of a securitization.
- Version Control for Structures
- Track and manage versions of deal setups for audit and compliance.
Integration & Interoperability
System’s ability to securely integrate with bank, regulatory, market data, and third-party platforms.
- Batch Import/Export
- Bulk data upload/download capability for integration with upstream/downstream systems.
- Configurable Data Mapping
- Ability to map and transform incoming or outgoing data structures.
- Custom Integration Toolkit
- Tools and documentation for custom connectors and middleware.
- Event Notification Webhooks
- Real-time push notifications to external systems.
- Legacy System Interfaces
- Adaptors/connectors for legacy banking and risk systems.
- Maximum Simultaneous Integrations
- How many simultaneous integration jobs the system can support.
- Open API Access
- Availability of RESTful or SOAP APIs for external integrations.
- Real-Time Data Feeds
- Support for connecting real-time asset or market data streams (Bloomberg, Reuters, etc.).
- SFTP/FTP Connectivity
- Secure file transfer support for data exchange.
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Integrated user authentication with enterprise directories (LDAP, Azure, etc.).
Lifecycle Automation & Workflow
Automated and semi-automated workflows for deal setup, approvals, servicing, and reporting.
- Approval Hierarchies
- Configurable multi-level approval chains for critical actions.
- Automated Notification Triggers
- Automatic notifications for workflow status changes.
- Bulk Upload & Bulk Actions
- Ability to process large sets of records in a single action or file.
- Calendar & Milestone Reminders
- Automatic reminders for key dates/events (e.g., payment dates, investor reporting).
- Custom Workflow Templates
- Bank- or desk-specific processes can be pre-built as templates.
- Exception Handling Support
- Automated detection and routing of out-of-bounds scenarios.
- Task Assignment & Tracking
- Automated routing and monitoring of tasks to users/teams.
- Workflow Automation Engine
- Configurable process flows for deal origination, approval, and servicing.
- Workflow History/Audit
- Logs of all actions taken as part of workflow.
- Workflow SLA Monitoring
- Time alerts/metrics for meeting internal or regulatory service levels.
Reporting & Document Management
Capabilities for generating, customizing, storing, and distributing structured finance documentation and reports.
- Ad Hoc Query Capability
- Allows users to run custom, SQL-type queries on system data.
- Audit-Ready Documentation
- Documentation and reporting built to support external/internal audits.
- Automated Distribution
- Ability for scheduled, secure electronic delivery to stakeholders.
- Automated Watermarking/Branding
- Watermarking and branding for investor and internal reports.
- Bulk Report Generation Speed
- Capacity for generating multiple large reports in parallel.
- Custom Report Builder
- Flexible tools to design and modify analytic, compliance, and investor reports.
- Document Access Controls
- Granular user permissions and encryption for sensitive documents.
- Historical Document Archiving
- Stores versions of investor reports and offering documents for compliance.
- Multi-Format Output
- Supports output in PDF, HTML, DOC, Excel, and XBRL formats.
- Templated Regulatory Reports
- Pre-packaged templates for regulatory submissions (e.g., SEC ABS-EE, ESMA).
Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance
Features that help monitor regulatory compliance and manage portfolio/deal risk exposures.
- Compliance Rule Engine
- Defines, monitors, and enforces internal/external risk, compliance, and eligibility rules.
- ESG Metrics Support
- Capture/report on Environmental, Social, Governance investment criteria.
- Exposure Analytics
- Calculates exposure concentrations, country limits, and counterparty exposure.
- Full Audit Trails
- Comprehensive audit logs for every system interaction and data change.
- KYC/AML Capabilities
- Built-in or connected Know Your Customer / Anti-Money Laundering checks.
- Limitation Breach Alerts
- Automatic alerts for breaches of deal or regulatory limits.
- Regulatory Change Updates
- System updates to automatically reflect major regulatory changes.
- Regulatory Reporting Automation
- Automates the production of required reports (SEC, ESMA, etc.).
- Risk Rating Integration
- Ability to interface with internal or external credit rating models.
- Scenario-Based Risk Analysis
- Ability to run risk analytics under regulatory and custom scenarios.
Security & Data Protection
Ensures data integrity, confidentiality, and security, covering both internal and external threats.
- Audit Logging
- Detailed, tamper-evident logs of system activity.
- Certification & Compliance
- Compliance with major standards (SOC2, ISO 27001, GDPR, etc.).
- Data Masking/Pseudonymization
- Protection for PII during analytics, testing or lower environments.
- Data Retention Policy Configuration
- Customizable rules for retention and deletion of sensitive data.
- Disaster Recovery RPO
- Recovery Point Objective: Age of data that can be lost in a system outage.
- End-to-End Encryption
- Data is encrypted at-rest and in-transit using industry standards.
- Intrusion Detection
- Live monitoring for breaches and suspicious activity.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Requires multiple credentials for user access.
- Regular Penetration Testing
- System is subject to regular third-party or internal security testing.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Granular security based on user roles and responsibilities.
Technical Scalability & Performance
The robustness and efficiency of the system to handle growing volumes and workflows.
- Automated Scaling Rules
- System can auto-scale based on load or time-of-day.
- Disaster Recovery RTO
- Maximum time to restore service after a disaster.
- Elastic Storage
- System can dynamically allocate storage as needed.
- High Availability SLA
- Guaranteed system uptime as a percentage over a year.
- Horizontal Scalability
- Ability to scale across multiple servers/cloud instances.
- Load Balancing Support
- Distributes user and processing load automatically.
- Max Supported Data Volume
- Maximum capacity of transactional and reference data.
- Performance Monitoring Console
- Dashboards for tracking system health, response times, bottlenecks.
- Real-Time Processing Capacity
- Number of real-time calculations or events handled per second.
- Zero-Downtime Updates
- Upgrades or patches can be deployed without taking the system offline.
User Experience & Accessibility
Design, usability, and user support features for both power users and occasional users.
- Accessibility Compliance
- WCAG or ADA compliant for users with disabilities.
- Bookmarking/Favorites
- Users can bookmark frequently used reports/functions.
- Concurrent User Support
- Number of users supported simultaneously without degradation.
- Customizable Dashboards
- Ability for users to tailor dashboards with preferred metrics/views.
- In-App Tutorials/Tooltips
- Guided help, tooltips, and onboarding flows.
- Intuitive Interface
- Modern, consistent, and user-friendly UI.
- Localization/Language Support
- Support for multiple languages/regional settings.
- Mobile Accessibility
- Optimized access for mobile/tablet platforms.
- Session Timeout Controls
- Automatic logout/timeouts for security.
- Theme/Color Scheme Customization
- Customizable UI appearance (dark mode, etc.).