BIS wants financial products ranked like medicines

By Huw Jones

BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Financial products should undergo registration like medicines to curb investor access until safety is proven, the Bank for International Settlements said on Monday.

Policymakers were alarmed at how opaque and complex securitised products collapsed in value as the credit crunch began unfolding from mid-2007, despite being highly rated. This sparked huge writedowns by banks that shattered investor confidence.

"In a scheme analogous to the hierarchy controlling the availability of pharmaceuticals, the safest securities would, like non-prescription medicines, be available for purchase by everyone," the BIS, which acts as a forum for the world's central banks, said in its annual report.

"Next would be financial instruments available only to those with an authorisation, like prescription drugs; another level down would be securities available only in limited amounts to pre-screened individuals and institutions, like drugs in experimental trials," the BIS said.

"Finally, at the lowest level would be securities that are deemed illegal."

A new instrument would be rated or an existing one moved to a higher safety category only after successful tests.

"Such a registration and certification system creates transparency and enhances safety ... This will mean that issuers bear increased responsibility for the risk assessment of their products," the BIS said.

Access to some products is already restricted in some countries, such as to hedge funds, while the Netherlands, Greece and other states impose restrictions on how big a mortgage a consumer can have on a property.