The worldwide credit markets were impacted by a confluence of factors in 2013, as the global economy continued to slowly regain its footing. Among those influences, two garnered particular attention as the year progressed: the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Federal Reserve's tapering of its bond-buying program; and the impact that global banking regulation has had on the issuance of debt and the availability of derivatives data. Both issues will continue to drive markets in 2014.