Why is the South African banking industry regarded as one of the best in the world? How is it structured? How did it avoid collapse during the global financial crisis of 2007-2009? Bank Management in South Africa: A risk-based perspective is the first textbook for the South African market to answer these questions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the way banks and their financial risks are managed. The book is divided into five parts: Part One introduces the business of banking by discussing the evolution of financial intermediation theory; Part Two deals with the structure, history, performance and regulatory environment of the South African banking industry; Part Three considers how banks report and measure their performance; Part Four focuses on how banks identify, quantify and manage financial risks; Part Five deals with the management of the asset book, liability book and, importantly, the capital adequacy requirements set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

From the author of Crashed comes a gripping short history of how Covid-19 ravaged the global economy, and where it leaves us now.

When the news first began to trickle out of China about a new virus in December 2019, risk-averse financial markets were alert to its potential for disruption. Yet they could never have predicted the total economic collapse that would follow in COVID-19's wake, as stock markets fell faster and harder than at any time since 1929, currencies across the world plunged, investors panicked, and even gold was sold. In a matter of weeks, the world's economy was brought to an abrupt halt by governments trying to contain a spiralling public health catastrophe.

Flights were grounded; supply chains broken; industries from tourism to oil to hospitality collapsed overnight, leaving hundreds of millions of people unemployed. Central banks responded with unprecedented interventions, just to keep their economies on life-support. For the first time since the second world war, the entire global economic system contracted. This book tells the story of that shutdown. We do not yet know how this story ends, or what new world we will find on the other side.

In this fast-paced, compelling and at times shocking analysis, Adam Tooze surveys the wreckage, and looks at where we might be headed next.

Using a range of calculative devices, (Mis)managing Macroprudential Expectations explores the methods used by central banks to predict and govern the tail risks that could impact financial stability. Through an in-depth case study, the book utilises empirically-informed theoretical analysis to capture these low-probability and high-impact events, and offers a novel conceptualisation of the role of risk modelling within the macroprudential policy agenda. The book asserts that central banks’ efforts to capture tail risks go beyond macroprudential policy objectives of identifying and monitoring systemic risks to financial stability. It illustrates how the calculation of tail risk contributes to managing the expectations that regulated institutions have around the Bank of England’s macroprudential approach, its willingness to support struggling institutions, and its use of novel macroprudential policy tools. Situating tail risk within the broader realm of climate finance, chapters contend that the identification of future climate tail risks simultaneously reveals opportunities for private profit and non-bank lending within the financial system, in ways that are potentially destabilizing. The book concludes by highlighting the social and political limitations of central banks’ new macroprudential approach. Transdisciplinary in approach, this book will be invaluable to students and scholars interested in the intersections between climate studies, political science and public policy, environmental economics, banking and finance, and political economy. Its practical applications will also be a useful resource to climate and finance policymakers working in central banking.

The Research Handbook of Financial Markets carefully discusses the histories and current states of the most important financial markets and institutions, as well as explicitly underscoring open questions that need study. By describing the institutional structure of different markets and highlighting recent changes within them, it accurately highlights their evolving nature. Taking the perspective that finance and macroeconomics are intertwined, this illuminating Research Handbook brings together prominent experts to investigate key market interactions. Chapters act as self-contained case studies of particular markets, allowing for a thorough individual examination of each. Ultimately, they offer a holistic understanding of financial markets and the current state of research. Academics and researchers in economics and finance curious about developments within financial regulation and banking will find this comprehensive Handbook to be hugely valuable. Market participants will additionally find it to be a useful reference, along with regulators seeking to mitigate financial instability.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Written by two expert economists, this comprehensive Advanced Introduction provides a thorough and up-to-date analysis of central banks and monetary policy, analysing the ways in which views about monetary policy have developed and changed. Key Features: Provides a historical overview of the gestation of the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, and the European Central Bank Analyses the processes involved in monetary policymaking, including strategy reviews, policy instruments, and central bank communication, whilst considering financial stability and crisis management Concludes with a look towards the future challenges faced by central banks, including the low interest rate environment and the greening of central bank policies Accessible and informative, this Advanced Introduction will prove a vital resource to students and scholars of economics and finance. It will also prove invaluable to practitioners and policymakers interested in financial sector supervision and regulation in central banks.

It is widely believed that central banks have grown (the Bank of England) or were established (the Federal Reserve) to pursue the twin objectives of monetary and price stability. But why should they? Central bankers are people, too, whose behavior is presumably determined, like the rest of us, by their incentives and the information available to them. The author explores this question. Two sets of data confirm the reservations. Central banks have often worsened, even initiated, monetary instabilities by bailing out the risk-takers and their effects on prices, which depending on the quantities of money created by central banks, have often been catastrophic. The evidence suggests that central bankers have really been in business to support the politically powerful upon whose favors they depend, particularly high-spending governments and needy financial institutions. The book consists of several examples of this behavior and its consistency during wars and financial crises in the UK and US over the course of the last two centuries. Professors and students of finance will find A Comparative History of Central Bank Behavior to be a compelling and thoughtful exploration of how central banks have historically responded to and influenced financial markets.

Islamic Social Finance provides an introduction to the Waqf system, which has played a significant socio-economic role throughout the history of Islamic civilization. In a contemporary framework, Waqf creates new networks between micro-entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and entrepreneurship through voluntary donations made by individuals in a society. In other contexts, Waqf supports the financial system and contributes to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The authors explore the relationship between the roles Waqf plays in realizing the SDGs, its contributions in many sectors of the economy, and the Waqf practices among the Southeast Asia countries, particularly Malaysia. They highlight the existing Waqf models and framework that have been used by many countries for entrepreneurship that can be used or adapted for the benefits of SMEs. This book is a comprehensive overview for academics, postgraduate students, entrepreneurs, and policy makers who wish to understand how Waqf can contribute to the economic progress of individuals and society at large.

Islamic Finance in Africa discusses the progress, issues and innovations in African Islamic financial markets. It provides a comprehensive overview of Islamic finance in Africa by exploring legal, regulatory and governance challenges while balancing the issues and innovations found in both Islamic commercial and social finance. The chapters in the book can be broadly classified into three parts. The first part covers legal, regulatory and governance developments and issues of Islamic finance in Africa, the second part deals with issues and innovations in Islamic commercial finance, and the third explores issues and innovations in Islamic social finance. The editors use a case study format to present the topic in discussion effectively and provide insight into actual or potential areas of growth. Scholars and Islamic finance stakeholders, including research and education institutes, will find this book invaluable in understanding this important topic and region. In depth case studies allow the reader to zoom into selected markets to understand issues/innovation in detail. This book also will be useful to policymakers and regional standard setting bodies, including multilateral and humanitarian agencies, in understanding the potential of Islamic finance in financial inclusion and resolving humanitarian crises.

Named a Best Book of 2018 by the Financial Times and Fortune, this New York Times-bestseller exposes how a 'modern Gatsby' swindled over $5 billion with the aid of Goldman Sachs in 'the heist of the century'.

Now a #1 international bestseller, Billion Dollar Whale is 'an epic tale of white-collar crime on a global scale' (Publishers Weekly, starred review), revealing how a young social climber from Malaysia pulled off one of the biggest heists in history.

In 2009, a chubby, mild-mannered graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business named Jho Low set in motion a fraud of unprecedented gall and magnitude -- one that would come to symbolise the next great threat to the global financial system. Over a decade, Low, with the aid of Goldman Sachs and others, siphoned billions of dollars from an investment fund -- right under the nose of global financial industry watchdogs. Low used the money to finance elections, purchase luxury real estate, throw champagne-drenched parties, and even to finance Hollywood films like The Wolf of Wall Street.

By early 2019, with his yacht and private jet reportedly seized by authorities and facing criminal charges in Malaysia and in the United States, Low had become an international fugitive, even as the US Department of Justice continued its investigation.

Billion Dollar Whale has joined the ranks of Liar's Poker, Den of Thieves, and Bad Blood as a classic harrowing parable of hubris and greed in the financial world.

Emerging markets are increasingly facing significant challenges, from a slowdown in productivity, rising debt, and trade tensions to the adverse effects of proliferating global uncertainty on domestic financial systems. This incisive Handbook examines the ongoing dynamics of global financial markets and institutions within the context of such rising uncertainty and provides a comprehensive overview of innovative models in banking and finance. Chapters investigate the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and economic activities, as well as other global factors such as geopolitical shifts, digital transformation, and climate change. This expansive range of perspectives demonstrates how emerging market policymakers have been forced to rethink their banking and financial industries to spur sustainable and inclusive growth. Global in scope, the Handbook features contributions from more than 70 experts, offering key insights into new developments in banking and finance, and considering how emerging markets might overcome the pandemic, shape the new normal, and foster economic sustainability. This ambitious Handbook will be an essential read for regulators and policy analysts who will benefit from its innovative perspectives on advancing governance of banking and finance sectors in emerging markets. Its exploration of forthcoming directions for research will be of special interest to academics and research scholars in related fields.

Responding to global events, including the international financial crisis (IFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks and the monetary regimes in many Latin American countries responded with actions to mitigate the worst impacts. The authors in this book focus on the recent trends of monetary policy in Latin America and analyze how the actions that were taken have affected the economic performance of these countries. The book is composed of 11 chapters that analyze, theoretically and empirically, the central banks' actions and the monetary regimes of the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. As most of these countries implemented inflation-targeting regimes in the 1990s and 2000s, a special focus will be given on these experiences and how central banks dealt with the IFC and COVID-19 crises. Academic researchers and students of economics will find a wealth of knowledge contained in these chapters, as will anyone looking for a better understanding of the economy of this important region.

This timely book studies the economic theories of credit cycles and disturbances in the 20th century, presenting a nuanced view of the role of finance in the economy after the financial crash of 2008. Focusing on the work of economists from Marx onwards, Jan Toporowski moves beyond conventional monetary theory to offer an insightful critical alternative to current financial macroeconomics. The book features an extended discussion of Marx's approach to credit and finance, new insights to Minsky's ideas and a reconsideration of the financial theories of Kalecki and Steindl. Economic researchers and postgraduate students seeking to extend their knowledge of critical approaches to finance will find this an invaluable read, as well as practitioners and policy makers who seek to understand financial instability and unstable markets. This will also be an insightful read for economic historians looking to understand the nuances of different key economic theories and their practical applications. This timely book studies the economic theories of credit cycles and disturbances in the 20th century, presenting a nuanced view of the role of finance in the economy after the financial crash of 2008.

This timely book investigates the ideas and concepts that drive and shape Islamic finance. Hans Visser covers recent developments and explores tensions between belief systems and market demands, to consider the future of Islamic finance in the modern marketplace. In this updated third edition, Visser reviews the numerous products, institutions and markets offered by Islamic finance, situating them in the competitive contemporary environment. This incisive book questions the conceptual differences that have been established between Islamic finance and conventional finance, drawing attention instead to how the former imitates the latter. Offering a critical assessment of the claims of the ethical superiority of Islamic finance frequently made by its advocates, Visser further discusses the ways in which fiscal and monetary policy can be adapted to Islamic financial institutions. Concise, yet comprehensive in scope, this book offers new directions for economics and finance students interested in alternatives to conventional finance, as well as students of Islamic finance and Islam studies more broadly. International bankers, financial journalists and politicians will find Visser's succinct exploration of Islamic finance and financial institutions invaluable.

Inclusive Financial Development provides theoretical and empirical analyses of the nature of financial inclusion. The contributing authors explore the impediments to inclusion that exist around the world, the macro and stability implications, and the regulation dimension. With contributions from distinguished researchers, this book covers the main analytical and empirical issues in financial inclusion and its role in economic development. Chapters present a wide range of case studies illustrating topics such as mobile money, financial liberalization and bank efficiency, as well as highlighting the costs associated with financial exclusion and the various policy and regulatory measures that have been applied to lower the barriers to inclusion. Offering a comprehensive exploration of financial inclusion and its impediments, this important book will be welcomed by students, researchers and policy makers interested in economic development and financial regulation.

Part of the Elgar Series on Central Banking and Monetary Policy, this book explores the relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the economy at large. It focuses on the specific relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the environment as central banks wake up to new realities. The book examines not only the impact of changes in interest rates on the environment, but also the impact that the environment and climate change have on monetary policy. New green policies are proposed for central banks to implement as they move forward and navigate the pitfalls of climate change. Scholars and students interested in central banking, monetary policy and the environment will appreciate this take on Central Banking, Monetary Policy and the Environment.

'Packed with insights and details that will both amaze and appal you' - Oliver Bullough, author of Butler to the World Across the world, HSBC likes to sell itself as 'the world's local bank', the friendly face of corporate and personal finance. And yet, a decade ago, the same bank was hit with a record US fine of $1.9 billion for facilitating money laundering for 'drug kingpins and rogue nations'. In pursuit of their goal of becoming the biggest bank in the world, between 2003 to 2010, HSBC allowed El Chapo and the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most notorious and murderous criminal organizations in the world, to turn its ill-gotten money into clean dollars and thereby grow one of the deadliest drugs empires the world has ever seen. How did a bank, which boasts 'we're committed to helping protect the world's financial system on which millions of people depend, by only doing business with customers who meet our high standards of transparency' come to facilitate Mexico's richest drug baron? And how did a bank that had been named 'one of the best-run organizations in the world' become so entwined with one of the most barbaric groups of gangsters on the planet? Too Big to Jail is an extraordinary story brilliantly told by writer, commentator, and former editor of The Independent, Chris Blackhurst, that starts in Hong Kong and ranges across London, Washington, the Cayman Islands and Mexico, where HSBC saw the opportunity to become the largest bank in the world, and El Chapo seized the chance to fuel his murderous empire by laundering his drug proceeds through the bank. It brings together an extraordinary cast of politicians, bankers, drug dealers, FBI officers and whistle-blowers, and asks what price does greed have? Whose job is it to police global finance? And why did not a single person go to prison for facilitating the murderous expansion of a global drug empire?

'Monetary policy is not just a matter of optimal stabilization policy; it is also fundamentally a matter of politics. But while this observation is commonplace, it is not adequately incorporated into economists' reasoning and analysis. Gerald Epstein's work represents perhaps the most prominent exception to this last rule. Reading him provides a salutary reminder that we need to pay closer attention to this political aspect when thinking about central banks and what they do.' - Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley, US Central banks are among the most powerful government economic institutions in the world. This volume explores the economic and political contours of the struggle for influence over the policies of central banks such as the Federal Reserve, and the implications of this struggle for economic performance and the distribution of wealth and power in society. Written over several decades by Gerald Epstein and co-authors, these works explore why central banks do what they do, and how they could better operate. Epstein shows that central banks are a contested terrain over which major economic and political groups fight for control; and demonstrates that though in the US and most other countries, private bankers have the upper-hand in this political struggle, they don t always win. Graduate students, faculty and advanced undergraduates in economics, political science and sociology who are interested in central banking and finance as well as specialists who focus on central banking will find greater understanding of central banks through The Political Economy of Central Banking.

Part of The Elgar Series on Central Banking and Monetary Policy, this book explores the relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the economy at large, focusing on the specific relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the future of money. The book explores the complexity of the current monetary policy transmission channels and the issue of confidence in money. Scholars examine the specific relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the future of money, with a particular insight on digital and local currencies. Scholars and students interested in central banking and monetary policy, the digitalization of money and the relationship between central banks and the growth of local currencies will value this timely take on the new realities of central banking. entral

The United States has two separate banking systems today-one serving the well-to-do and another exploiting everyone else. How the Other Half Banks contributes to the growing conversation on American inequality by highlighting one of its prime causes: unequal credit. Mehrsa Baradaran examines how a significant portion of the population, deserted by banks, is forced to wander through a Wild West of payday lenders and check-cashing services to cover emergency expenses and pay for necessities-all thanks to deregulation that began in the 1970s and continues decades later. In an age of corporate megabanks with trillions of dollars in assets, it is easy to forget that America's banking system was originally created as a public service. Banks have always relied on credit from the federal government, provided on favorable terms so that they could issue low-interest loans. But as banks grew in size and political influence, they shed their social contract with the American people, demanding to be treated as a private industry free from any public-serving responsibility. They abandoned less profitable, low-income customers in favor of wealthier clients and high-yield investments. Fringe lenders stepped in to fill the void. This two-tier banking system has become even more unequal since the 2008 financial crisis. Baradaran proposes a solution: reenlisting the U.S. Post Office in its historic function of providing bank services. The post office played an important but largely forgotten role in the creation of American democracy, and it could be deployed again to level the field of financial opportunity.

For academics, regulators and policymakers alike, it is crucial to measure financial sector competition by means of reliable, well-established methods. However, this is easier said than done. This comprehensive Handbook provides a collection of state-of-the-art chapters to address this issue. Using the latest empirical results from around the world, expert contributors offer a thorough assessment of the quality and reliability of the prevalent measures of competition in banking and finance. The Handbook consists of four parts, the first of which discusses the characteristics of various measures of financial sector competition. The second part includes several empirical studies on the level of, and trends in, competition across countries. The third part deals with the spillovers of market power to other sectors and the economy as a whole. Finally, the fourth part considers competition in banking submarkets and subsectors. This Handbook is an essential resource for students and researchers interested in competition, regulation, banking and finance. Politicians, policymakers and regulators will also benefit from the thorough explanation of the need for anti-trust regulation and identification of the most reliable competition measures. Contributors include: A.N. Berger, J.A. Bikker, W. Bolt, J. Bos, Y.L. Chan, P. Coccorese, M.D. Delis, J. Fernandez de Guevara, Z. Fungacova, R. Gropp, I. Hasan, J.P. Hughes, D. Humphrey, L.F. Klapper, S. Kleimeier, C. Kok, S. Kokas, J.W. Kolari, M. Lamers, L. Liu, J. Maudos, L.J. Mester, C.-G. Moon, N. Mylonidis, S. Ongena, B. Overvest, V. Purice, R.J. Rosen, H. Sander, S. Shaffer, L. Spierdijk, D. Titotto, R. Turk-Ariss, G.F. Udell, L. Weill, J. Yuan, M. Zaouras

Goldman Sachs, the nation's leading investment firm, with a solid-gold reputation and a first-class list of clients, began as a family business in a lower Manhattan basement in 1869. The secrets behind the remarkable success of Goldman Sachs since then are revealed in unprecedented depth in this fascinating and authoritative narrative history of the firm.

Former Goldman Sachs vice president Lisa Endlich draws on her insider's knowledge and access to all levels of management to bring to life a unique company that has long held its mystique intact. The most stunning accomplishments in modern American finance are explored through the story of how Goldman Sachs reached its summit.

Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success provides a rare and revealing look inside an institution -- until recently the last private partnership on Wall Street -- and inside the financial world at its highest levels. Included here, in a new chapter, is a first look at the history behind the firm's landmark initial public offering.

Banks have a special position in the financial system. Their exclusive link to the central bank puts them at the top of the financial system and enables banks to offer liquidity to the wider economy. They also provide loans and payment services to firms and households. This multifaceted nature of banking makes the economics of banking exciting. This Research Review assembles the best 'banking' papers on all these dimensions and will be invaluable for banking scholars and practitioners.

'Already an accomplished scholar Shen Wei offers a masterly study of the Chinese shadow banking sector in context. The book constitutes a thorough analysis of the nature of the Chinese shadow banking sector and of the political events, economic rationales and institutions that have shaped it. Beyond offering expert legal analysis this book is also very rich on information and research about the institutional and economic necessities that have shaped the Chinese financial system in its present form and gave rise to a mighty shadow banking sector. The book is very well organized and competently drafted, thus, it is easily accessible to both the expert and non-expert reader. I have no doubt that this is bound to become the standard reference work for everybody wishing to study the nature of the Chinese shadow banking sector and of the institutions underpinning it in context.' - Emilios Avgouleas, University of Edinburgh, UK 'Shadow Banking in China: Risk, Regulation and Policy by Professor Shen Wei is a timely book, presenting readers with a comprehensive and coherent conceptualization of shadow banking in China. It systematically defines shadow banking, describes how the different types of shadow banking subsectors -- including wealth management products, peer-to-peer lending, local government financing vehicles, and underground lending -- are growing, and examines how Chinese regulators are responding. It also explains the risk-taking, economics, and behavioral aspects of each of these subsectors, revealing the endogenous market forces driving their expansion and describing how shadow banking is innovatively helping to channel funding to the cash-starved private sector and real economy.' - from the Foreword by Steven L. Schwarcz, Duke University, School of Law In light of the current regulatory regime in China's banking sector, this book investigates the causes, key forms, potential risks and regulation of shadow banking in China. The first China-specific book of its kind, the author takes policy considerations into account whilst providing an analysis of the regulatory instruments tackling the systematic risks in its banking as well as shadow banking sectors. Key shadow banking subsectors discussed include P2P lending, wealth management products, local government debts, and the underground lending market. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the legal field, as well as those from other disciplines including social science, business, and finance. It will also be of use to lawyers, policymakers and regulators looking for practical solutions in tackling the issues facing a rising shadow banking sector today.