The current crisis in financial markets doesn’t have purely negative effects. Old knowledge gets dressed up in presentable new garb. The reader can see what lies behind these terms.

This „Million Dollar Question“ is asked about currency hedging in almost every conversation with financial leaders. The high volatility of exchange rates in 2008 and 2009 affects every undertaking since almost all hedging instruments fluctuate between negative and positive market values from time to time.

Is there really such a thing as a safe haven? In answer to this question many analysts would quickly cite three classic examples: gold, jewels and government debt. At the height of the financial crisis in the fourth quarter of 2008 and during the discussions about the stability and cohesion of the Eurozone, a fourth safe haven appeared – euro notes with an “X” in the serial code.

The financial crisis has propelled the topic of risk management into the spotlight. Spectacular examples of poor risk management in the financial sector have created doubt among many companies as to the effectiveness of modern financial instruments.

The media world recently celebrated its stars at the Oscars. Is there a comparable event in the business community? Did the Nobel Prize for Economics go to the wrong person last year?

Is there a new approach available in financial management - a risk-free approach without derivatives?

The age of "decision deflation" is here: shock in the wake of the abrupt economic collapse has left consumers wary, believing market conditions for an important purchase could be more favourable tomorrow. And, decision makers in the financial industry are not immune to this. The back and forth arguments about the risks of derivative transactions results in the same sort of decision gridlock.