Collateralized Credit Default Swaps Not Risk-Free, Counterparty Risk Persists.
A new model for valuing credit default swap contracts shows that when the buyer, seller, and reference entity are all at risk of default, it affects the pricing of the contract. The risk of default is interconnected and can have a big impact on financial markets. Even if a credit default swap is fully collateralized, it doesn't completely eliminate the risk of the other party defaulting.