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Why is LIBOR being discontinued?

LIBOR was introduced in the 1980’s as a benchmark interest rate that was intended to reflect banks’ average cost of short-term, wholesale unsecured borrowing. Over time, and particularly during the financial crisis that began in 2007, banks became less and less reliant on inter-bank lending. As a result, the number and dollar volume of transactions from which LIBOR was derived declined dramatically. To make up for this shortfall, LIBOR panel banks resorted to using “expert judgment” when submitting various rates used in calculating LIBOR. This left it susceptible to manipulation and fraud.

In 2017, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the regulator for LIBOR, announced that after December 31, 2021, the panel banks would no longer be required to submit settings for LIBOR. (This has since been revised to June 30, 2023, for most LIBOR tenors.) This announcement effectively started the countdown to the end of LIBOR.