With the release of hundreds of damaging documents, a dark side of Switzerland's democracy has been unveiled. Switzerland is now seen as a nation of greedy bankers, collaborators with the Nazis, and robbers of the wealth of the victims of the Holocaust. "Swiss Banks and Jewish Souls" is a powerfully enlightening account of how a small and determined group of people from divergent backgrounds humbled the legendary Swiss financial empire to achieve a measure of justice for Holocaust survivors and their heirs, while shattering the myth of Swiss wartime neutrality. Rickman tells how a small group of people, none of them professional historians, pieced together a puzzle of unknown proportions and proceeded to dismantle the myth of Swiss innocence and victimization at the hands of the Nazis, and expose a fifty-year cover-up. Untold numbers of European Jews and others placed their funds in Swiss banks because they believed they offered a safe haven for funds which the Nazis were trying to control. What better place to put their money than in Switzerland? "Swiss Banks and Jewish Souls" discusses how investigative groups proved that Switzerland stole the money of the Jews and helped the Nazis to do the same. No one began with evidence and no one had a source of knowledge upon which to fall back. All they shared was a feeling that something was terribly wrong and that a great injustice had occurred. Propelled by this instinct, a U.S. Senator, the World Jewish Congress, a British Parliamentarian, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a handful of Holocaust survivors accomplished what the U.S., British, and French governments and a group of feuding Jewish organizations could not or would not do. As a result of this effort, how the world views Switzerland and how Switzerland views itself has been redefined. Most importantly, those who survived the Nazi horrors, only to be victimized again by the Swiss bankers, have now achieved some measure of justice, or at least financial compensation after more than fifty years.

The 2008 financial crisis has become one of the defining features of the twenty first century's first decade. The series of events which unfolded in the aftermath of the crisis has exposed major structural flaws in many of the financial systems around the globe, triggering a global call for legal and regulatory reforms to address the problems that have been uncovered. This book deals with a neglected angle of the 2008 financial crisis looking in-depth at the implicit effects of the 2008 crisis on the UK financial market. The book considers new trends in finance which have emerged since the crisis as well as the challenges faced by some older practices in the UK financial markets. After providing a reflective account of the history of law and creditors in the UK the book investigates the proliferation of certain forms of financing that have recently become very visible parts of the UK financial market's structure, such as high cost short term lending and peer to peer lending. It provides legal and economic accounts of these forms of alternative lending, charting their developments, current status and critically assesses their impact on the UK financial market. Also examined are the ongoing funding difficulties faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the suitability of the UK current legal framework to support these institutions. The book goes on to look at the viability and safety of some other post crisis trends such as banks use of Contingent Convertible Bonds (CoCos) to improve their resilience.

This volume examines the future of European financial centres in the context of economic and monetary union (EMU). Based on original empirical research, it investigates the relative competitiveness of European financial centres, with special reference to London and Frankfurt, in the context of the single currency debate. Issues covered include:
* the evolution of financial centres
* optimal design of an international financial centre
* financial services regulation and EMU
* the competitiveness of world financial centres

This far-reaching study shows that operating efficiencies are not what are driving today's unrelenting bank merger mania. It suggests that bank mergers and consolidation may have effects that are contrary to consumer and non-financial business interests, such as lower rates of interest, increasing fees, and tighter credit constraints. Dymski recommends several new policies to apply to the evaluation of prospective mergers.

Following up on his 1995 study of the initial transition period in formerly communist economies, Adam Zwass carries the analysis into the second phase of reform. He devotes focused attention to the pivotal role of privatization strategies, contrasting the outcomes of the voucher plans with outright sale of state assets (including to foreign investors). Taking advantage of his incomparable experience as a financial expert first in the CMEA and later with the Austrian National Bank, Zwass considers the record of newly emerging banking and financial systems and the challenges of entry into the regional and global financial and trading systems.

Does Financial Deregulation Work? studies the process of financial deregulation in the United States. It exposes the basic flaws in the deregulationist approach and advances a new framework for effective financial regulation. Bruce Coggins provides a detailed and comprehensive critique of the reasoning behind deregulation, including marginal analysis and Friedman's monetarism. He challenges this thinking and proposes an alternative set of assumptions drawn from the historical and institutional approach to industrial organization and post Keynesian monetary theory. The author concludes that stability in financial systems is dependent upon a regulatory regime which focuses on limiting competition and encouraging productive over speculative investment. This book will prove invaluable to financial economists and analysts interested in the controversy over bank deregulation. It will also be of interest to those using post Keynesian, institutionalist and industrial organization approaches to economic analysis as well as to students and professors of law and regulation and those interested in problems of financial instability.

Series Information:
Routledge International Studies in Money and Banking

In response to the credit crunch during the global financial crisis of 2007-2008, many have called for the re-establishment of regional banks in the UK and elsewhere. In this context, Germany's regional banking system, with its more than 1,400 small and regional savings banks and cooperative banks, is viewed as a role model in the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, in line with the 'death of distance' debate, the universal application of ICT-based scoring and rating systems potentially obviates the necessity for proximity to reduce information asymmetries between banks and SMEs, calling into question the key advantage of regional banks. Utilising novel ethnographic findings from full-time participant observation and interviews, this book presents intimate insights into regional savings banks and compares their SME lending practices with large, nationwide-operating commercial banks in Germany. The ethnographic insights are contextualised by concise description of the three-pillar German banking system, covering bank regulation, structural and geographical developments, and enterprise finance. Furthermore, the book advances an original theoretical approach that combines classical banking theories with insights from social studies of finance on the (ontological) foundation of new realism. Ethnographic findings reveal varying distances of credit granting depending on the rating results, i.e. large banks allocate considerable credit-granting authority to local staff and therefore challenge the proximity advantages of regional banks. Nevertheless, by presenting case studies of lending to SMEs, the book demonstrates the ability of regional banks to capitalise on proximity when screening and monitoring financially distressed SMEs and explains why the suggestion that ICT can substitute for proximity in SME lending has to be rejected.

This far-reaching study shows that operating efficiencies are not what are driving today's unrelenting bank merger mania. It suggests that bank mergers and consolidation may have effects that are contrary to consumer and non-financial business interests, such as lower rates of interest, increasing fees, and tighter credit constraints. Dymski recommends several new policies to apply to the evaluation of prospective mergers.

Jacques Le Goff sets out in this book to explain the role of money, or rather of the various types of money, in the economy, life and mentalities of the Middle Ages. He seeks also to explain how, in a society dominated by religion, the Church viewed money, and how it taught Christians what attitudes they should adopt towards it and towards the uses to which it could be put. He shows that, although money played an important role in the rise of towns and trade and in state formation, there was no capitalism but only a pre-capitalism in the Middle Ages, even by their end, in the absence of a truly global market. This is why economic development remained slow and limited, in spite of some remarkable success stories. It was a period in which it was as important to give money as it was to earn it. True wealth was not yet the wealth of this world, even though money played an increasingly large role in reality and in mentalities. No similar discussion of this subject, aimed at a wide readership, has previously been published. Written by one of the greatest medievalists, this book will be recognized as a standard work on the topic.

This book traces the development of China's banking system through the first 25 years of China's socialist market economy up to the present. It examines how China's leaders have chosen their own path for reforming and regulating the banking sector and shows how this approach has differed significantly from the neoliberal approach promoted by the West. The book demonstrates the effectiveness of the Chinese approach, contrasting China's relative success in weathering the Asian financial crisis with the huge disruption experienced by other East and Southeast Asian nations which had followed the neoliberal model much more closely. The book explains how China's officials were able to resist the persistent efforts of foreign financial institutions to gain control of China's financial sector, particularly around the time of China's entry to the World Trade Organization. It argues that China's increasing influence in international financial institutions after the global financial crisis can help mitigate the risk of future financial crises and promote global financial stability.

Sweeping changes have taken place in the financial sector during the twentieth century. Two of the most notable changes have been the growth of global markets and institutions, and the introduction of computerisation. This volume charts the course of concentration and internationalisation in banking and also examines the influence and implications of new technologies on the industry's record-keeping practices. The exploration of concentration and internationalisation begins in the late nineteenth century and examines the effect of a wide range of factors, from macro-economic influences such as the liquidity crisis of the 1930s and the oil price rises of the 1970s, to the role of national regulation in the creation of financial markets and innovative products. The role of individual banks and their particular policies is also brought into focus. Some of Europe's most eminent bankers provide a contemporary dimension by discussing possible future developments in continental banking.

This book, first published in 1949, is the original and key survey of the stages which preceded the use of coins as the medium of exchange, and of the objects that coins displaced, objects which for want of a better name are here called primitive money. It examines in detail the primitive monies of the world, monies from far in the distant past, and monies still in use today. It is the essential reference source on the many different objects used as currency.

The market-based interest rate reform remains a core part of China's financial reforms, and an important topic of both theoretical and policy studies. This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the process and logic of China's interest rate reform from a historical perspective. It is structured along three lines, i.e. loosening interest rate controls, establishing market-based interest rates, and building an effective interest rate adjustment mechanism, and systematically reviews the characteristics and evolvement of the reform process. The book further explores the lessons and challenges of the reform by examining China's development stage and auxiliary reforms needed, and offers policy recommendations on how to further push forward the reform.

"Managing the New Bank Technology" is a practical action-oriented guide for bank CEOs, executives, business students, and boards. The book is aimed at educating those involved in banking on the key technological issues facing the industry. "Quick reference" guides opening each chapter are a special feature of the book, blueprints that offer bottom line summary suggestions for bank officers and executives. Topics include: Banking as Retailing; The Internet and Financial Services; Strategies for Future Payment Systems; Risk Management Technology; Protecting Technology Investments in an Age of Rapid Change; Negotiating Outsourcing Contracts; Developing an Information System Plan; Organizational Strategies to Manage Technology; Battling Fraud and Security Issues; and Selling Your Bank's Technology Vision.

This book, first published in 1994, takes a broad look at the reasons behind the failure of foreign banks to penetrate Japanese financial markets. It accepts the common argument that the Japanese bureaucracy has skilfully limited the scope of foreign banks and discusses at length the methods used to do so. However, in examining the history of foreign banking activity in Japan, it becomes clear that ineptitude on the part of the foreign banks and governments has also been a major factor.

Globalization is not an external force but a result of concrete business decisions made by millions of entrepreneurs and managers across the world. As such, the modern corporation has completely altered the economic landscape; business and finance have shaped the international order of the modern world. History of Financial Institutions contributes to the analysis of how the modern corporation, business and finance have shaped and keep on shaping our world. In a collection of nine succinct essays, this volume looks at the role of finance in European history from the beginning of the 19th century to the period after the Second World War. Archivists and financial historians, who are also leading scholars of banking and financial history, investigate the ways in which the international post-war order developed. They draw on often hitherto unused archival sources from central banks and other institutions to reveal the unique histories of a variety of European countries and the paths that have led to the contemporary economic and financial system. The collection includes reflections on (monetary) stabilization, inflation, hyperinflation, globalization and public relations in banking and commerce. This book is essential reading for banking and finance executives, as well as policy makers with a historical interest. It will also be of importance to academics with a particular interest in economic history, financial or banking history, and European history.

This collection of essays, written by former bankers, practising central bankers, government advisers and historians, celebrates the seventieth anniversary of the National Bank of Hungary. From a range of view points, the contributions consider the monetary and financial history of the past century and, in particular, explore possible parallelisms between experiences of the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918 and of contemporary changes since 1989. The first part, comprising four essays, concentrates upon central banking, especially the development of the National Bank of Hungary since 1878 and the establishment of the Bank of Poland. Commercial banking is the theme of Part II, where continuities and discontinuities are considered with respect to Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Slovenia and Yugoslavia.

First published in 1921, this book is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of economics to beginners, with only the more intricate and controversial subjects - such as economic rent - being omitted for the sake of clarity. The subject is dealt with as concretely as possible with extensive descriptions and examples provided to further elucidate the subject while avoiding unnecessary technicalities. The arrangement of the material is based on the author's experience of teaching economics and postpones the more difficult elements to the end of the book in order to provide a more thorough grounding in the essentials before introducing them to the reader.

Given the significant changes in the banking environment and the resultant pressures on banks to change their systems and procedures, this book is a timely reference that provides a comprehensive analytical overview of changes in the performance measurement system (PMS) of banks in the post-financial crisis era. It explores the factors that influence such changes and examines banks' consequential responses to institutional pressures. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners to gain insights into the concept of PMS change in both developed and developing economies.

Financial institutions are facing unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus Pandemic, less than a decade after recovering from the Global Financial Crisis and the Eurozone debt crisis. The causes of these challenges differ greatly from the previous crises that financial institutions, to a large extent, had contributed to. The current challenges were exogenous and unpredictable, and their consequences will reshape the financial system architecture around the world. Fintech, once dismissed as no more than a novel approach to servicing the segment of the population often overlooked by established financial intermediaries, is now challenging the traditional models of commercial and investment banking. The inevitable future introduction of digital currencies that could replace national currencies in many business transactions has the potential to fundamentally change the business models of financial institutions and how the financial system functions. Volume 22, Fintech, Pandemic, and the Financial System, examines systemic challenges faced by a wide range of financial market participants and the continued disruptions introduced by financial innovations (Fintech). International Finance Review publishes theme-oriented volumes on various issues in international finance, such as international business finance, international investment and capital markets, global risk management, international corporate governance and institution, currency markets, emerging market finance, international economic integration, and related issues.

The Chartered Mercantile Bank is one of the constituent banks of the huge Hongkong and Shanghai bank. This study charts its first 40 years as one of the pioneering banks of the Far East. The Chartered Mercantile became the leading exchange bank in India and South East Asia whilst always retaining its head office in the pivotal London market. Based upon meticulous research using a particularly rich set of banking archives, the book describes the complex political and financial circumstances on the subcontinent during the bank's early years and introduces the personalities in the Indian business and London banking worlds who guided the infant institution. The volatility of local markets is analysed, with portraits of the banks and merchant houses which did not survive the many financial crises in the East also included. This book will do much to remedy the lack of existing research into international finance, and Eastern banking in particular, in the 19th century. It provides an inside view of the workings of an Eastern bank - the nature of its business, methods of payment and exchange, recruitment and career patterns of staff, and includes valuable new material on the role of European bankers in an eastern setting.

Can the 'invisible hand' handle money? George Selgin challenges the view that government regulation creates monetary order and stability, and instead shows it to be the main source of monetary crisis.
The volume is divided into three sections:
* Part I refutes conventional wisdom holding that any monetary system lacking government regulation is 'inherently unstable', and looks at the workings of market forces in an otherwise unregulated banking system.
* Part II draws on both theory and historical experience to show how various kinds of government interference undermine the inherent efficiency, safety, and stability of a free monetary system.
* Part III completes the argument by addressing the popular misconception that a monetary system is unsound unless it delivers a stable output price-level.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book examines the current state of central banking in 44 developing countries. The authors analyse the banks' achievement in their primary objective of price stability and discuss the reasons behind the general lack of success. The book covers:
* government financing
* foreign exchange systems
* domestic banking systems.
Rich in data, the book contains original financial information from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. The lay-out is user-friendly and generously illustrated with tables, figures, boxed material and useful appendices. The book is published in association with the Bank of England and presents the definitive account of the role of central banks in developing countries.