Market volatility and competition have each played a significant role in altering the state of banking over the last twenty years. During the 1980s and 1990s banks have been exposed to new types of risks with far different characteristics and magnitudes than those dealt with in the early days of banking. Erik Banks seeks to explore the qualitative and quantitative aspects of risks attributable to financial instruments in today''s markets, which are so much a part of banking business throughout the world. Banks describes the credit risks encountered in dealing with financial instruments and establishes a framework for quantifying the risks and applies framework and concepts on a product-by-product basis.