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.

In today's increasingly global and integrated financial climate, there is an amplified need for cooperation between regulators and supervisors across the globe in order to promote economic growth and maintain competitive markets. However, idiosyncrasies remain within local markets, and for those wishing to participate within them, it is necessary to understand the distinctive qualities of each. This book explores the intermediaries of the Italian financial system. It examines the banks, investment services, electronic payment institutions, insurance companies and credit rating agencies functioning in the country, to explore how Italian regulation functions within the context of a wider harmonizing trend. The authors present a study on the current control models of the Italian markets in the wake of changes induced by the privatization of public banks, the increased size and complexity of the intermediaries, the increased level of competition, and the internationalization of the financial innovation. They explain how the country's financial markets are controlled by a combination of bodies, including the State, the authorities and the market participants themselves.

1 2 Laurent Huck and Sergio Trezzi During the last 5 years the asset management industry has been constantly invested by events which have required top management of major com- nies to rethink their business model, while preserving their company s mission. From the Internet bubble easy growth model to a strong cost control - vironment in 2000-2003, many financial institutions have undertaken structural changes in order to reap the opportunities offered by the new market. Hints of globalization have actually been around for several decades, even though they made only a modest impact; however, the availability of global capital and advances in communication technology have emp- sized the process of internationalization and the tools available to connect and integrate business activities to answer to more complex needs of c- ents. Moreover, the financial scandals and the review of mutual fund trade activity in the US by the Attorney General Elliot Spitzer have highlighted the importance to focus all efforts on renewing the confidence of prof- sional investors and their clients who have entrusted their capital to asset managers. Therefore, there is a growing need in the market to reinforce the concept of Shared Positive Values among the entire industry and among its stakeholders."

The terms "Eurodollar" and "Eurocurrency" were widely used in the 1970s, a time when the US dollar was prevalently traded in Europe. Later, the Eurodollar market was extended to Asia, especially Singapore and Hong Kong, and to cover a wider range of non-local currencies. But international markets have changed, with Renminbi set to become the world's dominant offshore currency. Leading bankers, analysts, bank supervisors, economists, journalists, professors, and lawyers contributed to Investing in Asian Offshore Currency Markets, exploring various issues regarding offshore currency markets in Asia, and especially the challenges and issues in building the offshore market for Renminbi.

This book presents contributions by leading academics and practitioners from central banks to shed light on the function and impact of cash in Asian countries. It explores the impact of cash on society, the role of cash in monetary policy, and the future of cash in various monetary systems, contrasting case studies from China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore with experiences from Europe. Recently the role of cash in the economy has become a much-discussed topic in Europe, but the issue is also of considerable relevance in Asia. Singapore and South Korea, for example, are relatively advanced in the use of cashless payments for daily exchanges, while countries like Japan still largely rely on cash for a wide range of transactions. Some economists argue for the abolition of cash so as to facilitate transactions, reduce the monetary scope of criminal transactions, and expand the available options for monetary policy through negative interest rates. Opposing voices claim that such a step would reduce the freedom of individuals and lead to a greater potential for monetary repression. The abolition of cash could also significantly impact the public's monetary psychology, thereby influencing their inflation expectations, portfolio structure, saving behavior, and other important monetary parameters.

Much critical attention has been given in recent years to market and credit risks, which have a significant effect on corporate and financial operations and must be understood and managed with care. While these areas have rightly received considerable scrutiny, another critical dimension of financial risk - based on corporate liquidity - has been largely overlooked. Liquidity risk is the risk of loss arising from an inability to quickly realise asset value or obtain funding and can be damaging if not properly considered or actively managed. Lack of liquidity can lead to large losses in asset/liability portfolios and off balance sheet activities and in extreme cases can trigger financial distress and insolvency. Liquidity Risk is a comprehensive treatment of the topic focusing on the nature of the risk, problems that arise in asset and funding liquidity and mechanisms that can be developed to monitor, measure and control such risks.

Financial capital, whether mediated through the financial market or Foreign Direct Investment has been a key factor in European economic growth. This book examines the interaction between European and global financial integration and analyses the dynamics of the monetary sector and the real economy in Europe. The key analytical focus is on the theoretical and empirical dynamics of financial markets in Europe, however, it also provides regional case studies of key institutional developments and lessons from foreign direct investment. There is a broad range of findings for Central, Eastern and Western Europe as well as EU Partner Countries. Crucially the analysis includes new approaches and options for solving the transatlantic banking crisis and suggests policy innovations for a world with unstable financial markets.

The papers in this volume empirically examine three evolving and important topics in financial economics: the determinants of monetary and bank efficiency and the key factors that contribute to successful monetary and banking operations; the institutional factors that enhance or detract from the efficient manner in which financial markets work; and the macro, micro, and social factors that impact stock valuation and optimum portfolio selection.

How did banking in early nineteenth-century Massachusetts evolve? Lu provides a compelling narrative about the connection between inclusive political systems and open access economies, hypothesizing that entry into banking was firstly made upon partisan grounds before later becoming open access/free entry. Lu investigates state level institutional change and studies the transition to open access from an economic perspective. What was the relationship between banking and political elites? Why were elites, who enjoyed privileges under dominant institutions, willing to dissolve these institutions and eliminate their privileges? The author provides new insights into American economic history, explaining how a society moves from limited access to one of openness.

This book provides an account of the principal phases in the development of the English banking system, and goes on to analyse the financial structure of the economy of the UK. The book focuses in detail on the regulatory and supervisory aspects of the UK banking system, and the interactions between the structural aspects of the banking and supervisory system.

Despite considerable progress on political and economic convergence over the last decade, financial structures of individual countries within the EU remain diverse. This book considers the future prospects of the banking industry in the context of enlargement, application of the IFRS and a potential new member country, Turkey.

This book provides two important contributions to existing theories in the financial innovation literature. First, it extends the existing literature of innovation orientation to a completely new field and construct that is based on a religious imperative as a framework within which financial innovation is constrained. It explains how an innovation orientation in IFIs can be directed within religious rules, which indicates that innovation orientation in IFIs is a learning philosophy. Second, the book introduces and examines the plasticity of Shariah as a shared boundary object and its dynamic role in managing tension and conflicting values in the financial innovation process. Furthermore, building on the empirical results, the study illustrates the insights that each theoretical lens affords into practices of collaboration and develops a novel analytical framework for understanding religious orientation towards financial innovation. This practical contribution, of the developed framework, could form the basis for a standardised framework for the Islamic finance industry. The book concludes by noting the policy and managerial implications of its findings and provides directions for further research.

Reinhard H. Schmidt The impressive development of the finance literature with its emphasis on asset pricing and the formal modeling of incentive systems during the past three decades, has largely relegated the business and operational aspects of banking as an industry from the agenda of academic research. Though this is understandable, it is especially regrettable in view of the dynamic dev- opments in the banking industry which have started about a decade ago and are currently in full swing. Fortunately, there are now signs of a change to the effect that banking is back on the research agenda. The p- sent book by Professor De Laurentis and his co-authors is a highly inno- tive and interesting manifestation of this reorientation. Banking is an important part of any financial system, and it is especially important in the financial systems of the countries of Continental Europe, such as Italy, France, and Germany, which have been bank-based for d- ades and which are, in my view, likely to remain bank-based for the fo- seeable future. There are many reasons, based on empirical and theoretical considerations, to believe that strong banks are not only important for the banking industry itself, but also for the respective national economies.

This book investigates the main features of the evolution of the cooperative banking model in European countries, using 'country case-study' analysis. Structured in two parts, the first deals with a sample of countries that joined European Union before 2000; the second part with a sample of other newly admitted European Union member countries.

A credible central bank can effectively lead the process of financial sector reform in a developing country. This book discusses central banking issues and offers a clear path to building credible central banks in emerging economies.

This book analyses how the financial system adjusts to institutional changes such as new technology, political tendencies, cultural differences, new business models, and government interactions. It emphasises how different institutional settings affect firms' borrowing and increases our understanding of how efficient financial markets are formed.

Banking and investment in Mexico have changed radically over the past decade, and the economic events that prompted these changes will have a significant impact on Mexico's role in regional and world financial markets. Adams traces the evolution of Mexico's banking and investment activities, reviews current conditions and their implications for future investment opportunities in Mexico, and makes clear that what happens to Mexico's economy and political stability will have major implications for what happens elsewhere in the world. One of the first books to look at banking and investment in Mexico after the peso crash of 1994-1995, with a highly detailed bibliography and notes, Adams's study will be important reading for international business, finance, and investment professionals and for their colleagues with similar interests throughout the academic community.

The fate of both Mexico and the United States is that the two countries are forever tied by geography. The historical evolution of the dual interaction between the peoples of these two nations is and will be significant for the future of both countries. With this in mind, the book is divided into chapters reviewing such themes as the interaction and historical financial events that transpired during the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the expansion of cross-border financial and investment services, as well as a framework and background review of the events leading up to and resulting from the devaluations of the 1970s and 1980s, and more recently the evolution of the peso crisis of 1994-1995. The imperceptible yet gradual economic integration of the two economies has required time in developing, while not always being seamless in its implementation and transition. American macroeconomic policy has long had a direct impact on the economy of Mexico, as is evidenced by the impact of U.S. interest rates on the financial underpinnings of the Mexican treasury and the banking system to assist with the overall economic growth of the nation. An appreciation for the historically sensitive issues and perspectives, be they nationalization of the oil industry, immigration, or market access for foreign financial services, is paramount to a fuller understanding of doing business on both sides of the border.

The world of retail banking is changing. While previously a purely money-making entity, the industry has brought social responsibility onto its agenda, and the ground rules for success have altered. Traditional convictions, rules and values that have influenced all banking business in the past are brought into question by this shift, and banks are adopting bold strategies in order to win out over competitors. Taking both multidisciplinary and holistic approaches, Retail Banking is a comprehensive analysis of how traditional retail banks can meet the challenges of the emerging competitive landscape. It outlines the importance of considering the traditional fundamentals of banking and fitting them into the modern times, where technology is pervasive and developments in the macro and micro scenarios have changed the landscape of the industry. It highlights that modern retail banking is a conscious step away from the past, and suggests that for banks to succeed in this field, they must step away from ad-hoc initiatives and instead encourage loyalty and a life-long confidence in each of their customers. This book will be of interest to those with in interest in retail banking, bank management, business models and strategies and financial services.

Banking Reforms in South-East Europe gives a critical and detailed overview of banking system restructuring in the transitional countries of South-Eastern Europe - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia - and offers suggestions for future reforms. The book opens with a comparison of the experiences of Central European advanced transitional economies with those of the Balkan countries. Proposals are put forward for ways in which positive aspects of the Central European experience can be applied to banking reform in the Balkans. The authors examine the importance of regional collaboration for the overall economic and social transition in the region, and consider whether it can facilitate the next stage of banking reform. They also analyse the results of currency board arrangements as a possible alternative to classical central banking, using the experiences of Bulgaria, Bosnia and the Yugoslav Republic of Montenegro. The book concludes with an analysis of the experience of individual economies and consists of a number of country-specific banking studies, covering all the transitional economies of South-East Europe. The book will be of great interest to both scholars of transition economies and policymakers in finance and financial institutions.

"Microfinance" is a comprehensive analysis of the operational, managerial and financial aspects of microfinance. The text provides a contemporary analysis of microfinance business covering the risks, returns and management issues associated with such activity. It analyses the main products and services available in modern microfinance and explains how to manage the financial and non financial risks involved. The book also provides a performance and monitoring model for microfinance programmes and describes how microfinance can be regulated.

Do you know how banking and money will look like in the new digital age? This book collects the voices of leading scholars, entrepreneurs, policy makers and consultants who, through their expertise and keen analytical skills, are best positioned to picture from various angles the ongoing technological revolution in banking and finance. You will learn how lending and borrowing can exist without banks; how new forms of money can compete to better serve different society needs; how new technologies are banking the unbanked communities in the poorest parts of the world, and how ideas and small projects can be financed by the crowds without the need to rely upon banks. You will learn how, in the new digital age, we will interact with new self-organised and autonomous companies that operate without any human involvement, based on a set of programmed and incorruptible rules. You will learn that new business models will emerge thanks to technology-enabled platforms, upon which one can build new forms of non-hierarchical cooperation between strangers. And you will also learn that new forms of risks and threats are emerging that will destabilise our systems and jeopardise the stability of our financial order.

Italian Banking and Financial Law provides a thorough overview of the banking sector in Italy, offering historical perspectives, insight into current developments and suggestions for future evolution.

The book covers topics related to banking regulation and credit risk modelling. The proposed rules are presented and key issues regarding implementation of the accord identified. The model used to calibrate the capital requirements under Basel 2 is analyzed and projected forward to present what could be key new elements in the future Basel 3 regulation. A CD-ROM is included to illustrate regulator models.

This book introduces the reader to the 'world of finance', more exactly to one core activity: investment banking. Analysing the practices of traders, analysts, brokers and bankers it reveals how their contrasting perspectives on shares are put to use and the consequences this has for investment banks, corporations, investors and the stock markets.

This book captures Nigeria's crisis management experience and lessons learnt during the five-year tenure of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN Governor. It provides a backdrop of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US characterised by the Lehman Brothers debacle in 2007-08, which precipitated global economic and financial crisis.