buying and selling assets. There is also the risk that as an investor or fund manager diversifies, their ability to monitor and understand the assets may decline leading to the possibility of losses due to poor decisions or unforeseen correlations. Hedging Hedging is a method for reducing risk where a combination of assets are selected to offset the movements of each other. For instance, when investing in a stock it is possible to buy an option to sell that stock at a defined price at some point in the future. The combined portfolio of stock and option is now much less likely to move below a given value. As in diversification there is a cost, this time in buying the option for which there is a premium. Derivatives are used extensively to mitigate many types of risk. According to the article from Investopedia, a hedge is an investment designed to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset. Typically, a hedge consists of taking a counter-position in a related financial instrument, such as a futures contract. The Forward Contract The forward contract is a non-standard contract to buy or sell an underlying asset between two independent parties at an agreed price and date. The Future Contract The futures contract is a standardized contract to buy or sell an underlying asset between two independent parties at an agreed price, quantity and date. Option contract The Option contract is a contract gives the buyer (the owner or holder of the option) the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specified strike price prior to or on a specified date, depending on the form of the option. Financial / credit risk related acronyms ACPM - Active credit portfolio management EAD - Exposure at default EL - Expected loss LGD - Loss given default PD - Probability of default KMV - quantitative credit analysis solution developed by credit rating agency Moody's VaR - Value at Risk, a common methodology for measuring risk due to market movements See also Arbitrage pricing theory Beta Capital asset pricing model Climate-related asset stranding Cost of capital Downside beta Downside risk Insurance Macro risk Model risk Modern portfolio theory Optimism bias Reinvestment risk Risk attitude Risk measure Risk premium RiskLab Stranded asset Systemic risk Upside beta Upside risk Value at risk References External links Risk.net "Financial Risk Management