| Course | MT481 Financial Markets |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 9 |
| Paper type | Derivatives use memo |
| Length | About 780 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MT481 Unit 9
Lock the Margin: An MT481 Unit 9 Derivatives Use Memo Recommending a Pay-Fixed Interest Rate Swap
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
MT481: Financial Markets
Unit 9 Derivatives Use Memo
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Cedar Valley Bank, its balance sheet and the swap terms are composite; the sources cited are real.
Memo Header
To: Asset-Liability Committee, Cedar Valley Bank. From: Treasury Analyst. Date: March 3, 2026. Subject: Hedging the rate risk in our fixed-rate mortgage book.
Recommendation
Cedar Valley should take the paying side of a five-year fixed-for-floating swap on $500 million of notional principal, paying 3.85 percent fixed and receiving the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, known as SOFR. The swap locks the margin on the most exposed part of our mortgage portfolio at about $3.25 million a year, whatever happens to short-term rates.
The Exposure
Cedar Valley holds about $500 million of residential mortgages, made over the past three years, that yield 4.10 percent fixed. They are funded mainly by money market deposit accounts whose rates we set at about SOFR minus 0.40 points, because our customers move money when we fall behind the market. The asset rate is fixed; the funding rate floats. If short rates rise, our funding cost rises and the margin on these loans shrinks or turns negative. Mishkin (2019) describes this mismatch, long fixed-rate assets funded by short deposits, as the classic source of interest rate risk at banks.
How the Swap Works
In the swap, Cedar Valley pays a fixed 3.85 percent on $500 million to a dealer and receives SOFR on the same amount. No principal changes hands. If SOFR rises, we receive more from the swap, offsetting our higher deposit costs. If SOFR falls, we pay more on the swap than we receive, giving up some of the gain from cheaper deposits. In effect, the swap converts our floating funding cost into a fixed one: SOFR minus 0.40 on deposits, plus 3.85 paid, minus SOFR received, equals a fixed 3.45 percent.
Three Scenarios
At SOFR of 2.50 percent, the unhedged slice earns the 4.10 percent mortgage yield minus a 2.10 percent deposit cost, 2.00 points on $500 million, or $10.0 million a year. The swap costs us 3.85 minus 2.50, 1.35 points, about $6.75 million. At SOFR of 3.85 percent, the swap nets to zero. At SOFR of 5.50 percent, the unhedged slice loses: deposits cost 5.10 percent against 4.10 earned, a $5.0 million loss, while the swap pays us 1.65 points, $8.25 million.
Hedged, the slice earns 4.10 minus 3.45, 0.65 points, about $3.25 million a year in every scenario.
Without the swap the margin ranges from $10 million to a $5 million loss; with it, $3.25 million every year.
What the Swap Costs
The swap is not free insurance. If rates fall, we give up the extra margin we would have earned. That is the price of certainty, and it is the committee's choice whether certainty is worth it. Purnanandam (2007) found that banks using interest rate derivatives keep their lending more stable when monetary policy tightens, which suggests the value of a locked margin lies partly in protecting our ability to keep lending.
Value Sensitivity and Collateral
The swap's market value changes by about $223,500 for each basis point change in five-year swap rates. A one-point rise would make it worth about $22 million to us; a one-point fall, a similar amount against us. Because the trade would be centrally cleared, we would post initial margin, assumed here at about $10 million, and settle daily variation margin in cash. Treasury must hold enough liquid securities to meet margin calls if rates fall sharply. Hull (2022) explains that clearing reduces counterparty risk but makes liquidity planning essential.
Other Ways to Hedge
Two other routes were weighed and rejected. Selling part of the mortgage portfolio would remove the exposure but would realize losses, since the loans are worth less than their face value at today's rates. Raising long-term fixed-rate funding, such as five-year certificates or advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank, would also match the assets, but at a higher cost than the swap and with less flexibility to unwind. The swap can be closed at market value if our balance sheet changes.
Accounting
If the swap qualifies as a cash flow hedge of our deposit costs, changes in its value will be recorded in other comprehensive income rather than earnings, and reported net interest income will reflect the locked margin. Our auditors should confirm hedge documentation before the trade is executed.
Next Steps
Approve the swap at the March meeting, obtain quotes from three dealers and confirm margin capacity with the controller.
References
Hull, J. C. (2022). Options, futures, and other derivatives (11th ed.). Pearson.
Mishkin, F. S. (2019). The economics of money, banking, and financial markets (12th ed.). Pearson.
Purnanandam, A. (2007). Interest rate derivatives at commercial banks: An empirical investigation. Journal of Monetary Economics, 54(6), 1769-1808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoneco.2006.07.009
What the MT481 Unit 9 assignment asks for
MT481 Unit 9 asks for a memo recommending how an organization should use a derivative to manage a specific risk. Put the recommendation in the first paragraph. Describe the exposure precisely, including what is fixed and what floats. Explain how the derivative works in plain terms and show the combined position's effect. Test the hedged and unhedged results across several rate scenarios in a table. State what the hedge costs, including the gains given up if rates move favorably. Cover value sensitivity, collateral and liquidity needs, and any accounting treatment the committee should know. Consider alternatives such as selling assets or raising matched funding. Finish with dated next steps; four pages for a committee is the usual length, and swap terms should be stated precisely enough to check every scenario figure.
Inside the MT481 Unit 9 example
Cedar Valley's memo opens with the recommendation and the locked margin. The exposure section explains fixed mortgages funded by floating deposits, citing Mishkin on this classic mismatch. The swap is described in plain terms and shown to convert floating funding into a fixed 3.45 percent cost. Three scenarios compare unhedged and swap results, under a highlighted line contrasting a $15 million range with a constant $3.25 million. A section states what the swap gives up and cites Purnanandam on hedging and stable lending. Value sensitivity and margin follow, with Hull on clearing and liquidity. Two alternatives, selling loans and long-term funding, are weighed and set aside. Hedge accounting is noted for the auditors. Three next steps close the memo: approval, dealer quotes and a margin check.
MT481 Unit 9 rubric: what earns full points
Derivatives memos are graded on whether the hedge matches the exposure and whether the committee can see its costs. Instructors credit a precise description of the risk and a plain explanation of how the instrument offsets it. A scenario table comparing hedged and unhedged results is the central marking point. Stating the cost of the hedge, especially the upside given up, shows honesty and is often rewarded. Covering collateral, liquidity and accounting shows the practical knowledge a committee needs. Considering alternatives before recommending a derivative demonstrates judgment. Committees read the opening paragraph first, so the decision belongs there. Figures that reproduce exactly from the stated swap terms let the grader verify the analysis quickly.
Common MT481 Unit 9 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Weak Unit 9 memos describe swaps or futures in textbook terms without connecting them to an actual exposure. Another frequent error chooses the wrong side, receiving fixed when the exposure needs paying fixed. Students often show only the scenario where the hedge pays off. Collateral and margin needs are commonly ignored, though they can strain liquidity. Alternatives are rarely considered. Before submitting, write out the combined position in one line, adding the exposure and the derivative, and check that the floating terms cancel. Then run your scenarios at a rate below, at and above the swap rate, and make sure the hedged result is the same in each. If it is not, check the notional amount and the side of the swap.
Get an MT481 Unit 9 example written to your instructions
Firms and exposures differ by section: an airline's fuel, an exporter's currency, a lender's rates. Describe the company your Unit 9 prompt names, or let the writer invent one, and a first MT481 memo is drafted at no charge, scenarios on both sides and the counterparty identified, formatted to the rubric within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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MT481 Unit 9 questions, answered
Does the memo have to use a swap?
No. Futures, forwards and options all qualify when the prompt asks about one company offloading an exposure. Choose the instrument that matches the exposure: a swap suits a stream of rate payments, a forward suits one future currency payment, and options suit a firm that wants protection while keeping upside. State why the chosen contract fits better than the alternatives.
Where does the fixed swap rate come from?
Dealers quote swap rates for each tenor, and published SOFR swap rates are available through market data services and some central bank releases. Name the source and date, or bracket the rate as an assumption if the prompt supplies none. The memo's conclusions should hold across a reasonable range of fixed rates, which a short sensitivity line can show.
Should the memo discuss hedge accounting?
Briefly. A committee needs to know whether reported earnings will show the hedge offsetting the exposure or show swings in the swap's value alone, which depends on designation under the accounting standard for derivatives. One or two sentences naming the approach are usually enough for this unit; detailed accounting belongs in a different course.
Where can I find a free MT481 Unit 9 sample paper?
This page holds the complete MT481 Unit 9 memo recommending a $500 million pay-fixed swap for a composite community bank, with a three-scenario table.
What margin does the swap lock in the MT481 Unit 9 sample?
About 0.65 points on $500 million, roughly $3.25 million a year, because the 4.10 percent mortgage yield is set against a fixed 3.45 percent funding cost.