Interest rate swap

3 Easy Steps to Improve Your Interest Rate Swap Procurement

13 May 2022 - 1 min read time

We’ve put together a list of three easy steps that’ll make your interest rate swap procurement a whole lot easier!

  1. Don’t forget about the terms and conditions for the fixed and variable parts of the swap!
    To compare the different banks' pricing fairly, you need to consider more than the swap's start and end date. The interest rate calculation method's terms and conditions for both the fixed and the variable part of the swap also play a huge role in pricing – and, consequently, also when it comes to comparing banks.
  2. Ask the bank about the capital cost
    Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what part of the cost is the market interest rate and what part is the bank's markup in the form of capital cost. The solution is luckily rather easy – ask! By figuring out each bank's markup, you can quickly identify the banks' differences before it's time to agree on a price. 
  3. Make sure you have a neutral insight into the market’s pricing
    One thing that makes interest rate swaps a little complicated is that the price can change up until both parties agree on the price, usually over the phone or a secure chat platform. That means that it's crucial that you get a neutral valuation of the swap's interest rate. By using a treasury management system like, for example, Nordkap, with built-in swap pricing tools, you get access to your swap's current mid-price on the market and can use that when it's time to negotiate with the bank.

Read more about interest rate swaps and how Nordkap can help you get the best possible procurement process here.

Interest rate swap