In 2006 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Muhammad Yunus for his work on microfinance, dramatically changing attitudes towards capital markets. Suresh Sundaresan has assembled an impressive set of scholars and practitioners in this book to bring together recent practical innovations and policy questions in the realm of microfinance. The contributions emphasize practical solutions to problems facing the field by examining capital markets, providing a framework for thinking about regulation, and raising questions about gender empowerment. They examine recent developments in the field, research findings, and the challenges that lie ahead. This book takes a solid step toward a systematic analysis of the implications of microfinance for the role and regulation of capital markets. The authors address integration of capital markets with microfinance, technological innovations such as the use of mobile phone technology, the consequences of women's access to micro-loan borrowings, and the regulatory challenges and opportunities emerging as the landscape of microfinance dramatically evolves. Practitioners, policy makers, and academics in the fields of developmental economics, finance, gender studies and public and development policy will enjoy this analytically rigorous work.

Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' relied on the self-interest of individuals to produce good outcomes. Economists' belief in efficient markets took this idea further by assuming that all individuals are selfish. This belief underpinned financial deregulation, and the theories on incentives and performance which supported it. However, although Adam Smith argued that although individuals may be self-interested, he argued that they also have other-regarding motivations, including a desire for the approbation of others. This book argues that the trust-intensive nature of financial services makes it essential to cultivate such other-regarding motivations, and it provides proposals on how this might be done. Trustworthiness in the financial services industry was eroded by deregulation and by the changes to industry structure which followed. Incentive structures encouraged managers to disguise risky products as yielding high returns, and regulation failed to curb this risk-taking, rent-seeking behaviour. The book makes a number of proposals for reforms of governance, and of legal and regulatory arrangements, to address these issues. The proposals seek to harness values and norms that would reinforce 'other-regarding' behaviour, so that the firms and individuals in the financial services act in a more trustworthy manner. Four requirements are identified which together might secure more strongly trustworthy behaviour: the definition of obligations, the identification of responsibilities, the creation of mechanisms which encourage trustworthiness, and the holding to account of those involved in an appropriate manner. Financial reforms at present lack sufficient focus on these requirements, and the book proposes a range of further actions for specific parts of the financial industry.

Jean-Baptiste Say (1767-1832) was one of the first great economists to have laid down the foundations of economic science. Author of the famous Treatise on Political Economy in 1803, which was revised and re-edited on several occasions, he published numerous other works including a voluminous Complete Course in Practical Political Economy in 1828-9. He also taught political economy successively from 1815 until his death in three Parisian establishments: the Athenee, the Conservatory of Arts and Trades, and the College de France. The texts in which Say exposes his approach to political economy have not been available in the English language until now except for the fourth edition of the 'Preliminary Discourse' which serves as an introduction to the Treatise. This book presents a translation which renders his works accessible to the English speaking world. For the first time, English readers will be able to become directly immersed in Say's principal texts, where he develops his conception of political economy. Jean-Baptiste Say and Political Economy proposes a translation of a selection of eleven of Say's texts. The first three are versions of the 'Preliminary Discourse' from the Treatise's editions of 1803, 1814 and 1826 with the variations of the editions of 1817, 1819 and 1841. The following four texts are the opening discourses pronounced at the Conservatory in 1820 and 1828 and the College de France in 1831 and 1832. The eighth text is the 'General Considerations' which open the Complete Course in Practical Political Economy of 1828, with the variations of the 1840 re-edition. The final three texts are those Say devotes to 'the progress of political economy' in what is akin to a history of economic thought. This volume is of great importance to economic historians and people studying Jean-Baptiste Say, as well as those who are interested in economic theory and philosophy and political economy.

This book, first published in 1987, examines American international finance and banking, and the affect that the United States had in the world economy. This book will be of interest to students of finance and economics.

This book presents an analysis of the role of UK building societies, their strengths and weaknesses, and their contribution to the industry, at a time where public confidence in banking is low. Chapters present the results of an empirical analysis of the comparative performance of UK building societies, since the large-scale demutualisation process ended in the year 2000. The authors highlight the substantial impact of the financial crisis on the sector, with 2008 and 2009 being particularly difficult years. The book discusses banks and building societies in the context of the improving economy and show that both groups have recovered some profitability, although not at the pre-crisis level. The reader will discover that building societies in particular have recovered well from the financial turmoil and they appear less risky than banks on a variety of measures.

Global financial crisis and colossal sovereign debt has resulted in the need for radical cuts in public expenditure in many countries. Against this background, the contributions in Third Sector Performance acknowledge that, as a result, more imaginative ways of delivering public services are being sought. In countries like the UK, the new concept of The Big Society envisages third sector, or not-for-profit, or charitable organizations and social enterprises stepping in to mitigate the loss of vital public services. This development also gives rise to the likelihood that third sector financial institutions such as credit unions and a possible 'Big Society Bank' will grow in importance. The performance of all these enterprises looks set to become a much more critical issue than it has been in the past. The editors have gathered in this volume, chapters reflecting the fact that third sector organizations are not the same as conventional businesses and are also subtly different from the public sector. There is currently a dearth of knowledge and a lack of research into issues around performance in the Third Sector or Civil Society. This book begins to fill a void in the knowledge base. The internationally sourced contributions represent a balanced offering of academic research findings and practitioner accounts from the Third Sector, together with a section devoted specifically to third sector finance institutions. This book will appeal, internationally, to policy makers within the third sector or involved in the management of n-f-p and voluntary organisations, as well as to those with responsibility for wider public policy, scholars teaching or researching in this area, and students of business and management preparing for roles in social enterprises.

The Handbook of Islamic Banking comprises 25 studies by leading international experts on Islamic banking and finance specially commissioned to analyse the various debates and the current state of play in the field.From its origins thirty years ago, Islamic banking has expanded rapidly to become a distinctive and fast growing segment of the international banking and capital markets. Despite this expansion, Islamic banking still remains poorly understood in many parts of the Muslim world and continues to be a mystery in much of the West. This comprehensive Handbook provides a succinct analysis of the workings of Islamic banking and finance, accessible to a wide range of readers. At the same time, it seeks to bring the current research agenda and the main issues on Islamic banking before a wider audience. Islamic banking offers, as an alternative to conventional interest-based financing methods, a wide variety of financial instruments and investment vehicles based on profit-and-loss sharing arrangements. These are all explored in detail along with other subjects such as governance and risk management, securities and investment, structured financing, accounting and regulation, economic development and globalization. M. Kabir Hassan, Mervyn Lewis and the other contributors have created an authoritative and original reference work, which will contribute to a wider understanding of Islamic banking as well as provoking further discussion and research. It will be invaluable to all scholars, researchers and policymakers with an interest in this subject.

Globalisation and the governance of the international financial system have arrived at the crossroads, where either a coherent level playing field for the cross-border activities of banks and multinational enterprises is settled upon, or the risk of another crisis will build up again. This book will explore the underlying problems alongside inconsistent economic and financial trends as a guide for researchers, advanced students and professionals to think about the interconnectedness of the factors involved. Readers will gain insights drawn from recent developments in economic theory and empirical research-a toolkit to help them in their future careers in economics and finance-illustrated with an analysis of the 2008 crisis and its aftermath.

This book examines the opportunities opened up for financial cooperatives by the recent financial crisis, and explores the role of these institutions in promoting and sustaining local development. The global financial crisis has not only shown the limits of the mainstream theory of markets and rational expectations, but has also generated a great deal of disillusionment with the banking system and underlined the importance of a healthy society for the welfare of the individual. Consequently, new and innovative ways of providing finance are needed, especially for strengthening the development of local societies.

Political risk was first introduced as a component for assessing risk not directly linked to economic factors following the flow of capital from the US to Europe after the Second World War. However, the concept has rapidly gained relevance since, with both public and private institutions developing complex methodologies designed to evaluate political risk factors and keep pace with the internationalization of trade and investment. Continued global and regional economic and political instability means a plethora of different actors today conduct a diverse range of political risk analyses and assessments. Starting from the epistemological foundations of political risk, this books bridges the gap between theory and practice, exploring operationalization and measurement issues with the support of an empirical case study on the Arab uprisings, discussing the role of expert judgment in political forecasting, and highlighting the main challenges and opportunities political risk analysts face in the wake of the digital revolution.

Money is mysterious. We love it, we hate it, but few people can tell you what the heck it really is. Wouldn't it be good to get out of the fog? This book will help you understand both the way money works and how to leverage its power. The authors take you on an illuminating journey from your piggy bank to the Federal Reserve with no pesky jargon or complex math. Once you see money clearly, life will never be the same. You'll know what really goes on in banks and what the cash in your wallet represents. You'll know how government really spends and why it can’t run out of money. You'll know what money can actually do — and how we can make it work for us.

This account of the financial crisis of 2008-2009 compares banking systems in the United States and the United Kingdom to those of Canada and Australia and explains why the system imploded in the former but not the latter. Central to this analysis are differences in bankers' beliefs and incentives in different banking markets. A boom mentality and fear of being left behind by competitors drove many U.S. and British bank executives to take extraordinary risks in creating new financial products. Intense market competition, poorly understood trading instruments, and escalating system complexity both drove and misled bankers. Formerly illiquid assets such as mortgages and other forms of debt were repackaged into complex securities, including collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). These were then traded on an industrial scale, and in 2007 and 2008, when their value collapsed, economic activity fell into a deep freeze. The financial crisis threatened not just investment banks and their insurers but also individual homeowners and workers at every level. In contrast, because banks in Canada and Australia could make good profits through traditional lending practices, they did not confront the same pressures to reinvent themselves as did banks in the United States and the United Kingdom, thus allowing them to avoid the fate of their overseas counterparts. Stephen Bell and Andrew Hindmoor argue that trading and systemic risk in the banking system need to be reined in. However, prospects for this are not promising given the commitment of governments in the crisis-hit economies to protect the "international competitiveness" of the London and New York financial markets.

Complementary to Theism and Cosmology, this book begins with a discussion of philosophical and theological idea-ism, and our common beliefs concerning nature, man, and God. It is principally concerned with idealism - the place of ideals in reality rather than with the place of ideas. It discusses personality, justice, value, morals and theism versus pantheism then ends with a discussion of the general relations between a cosmological theism and a theism whose primary interest is the conservation and the incarnation of what is good and fine.

In this book leading financial professionals and academics examine the prospects for the European single currency. The impact of the Euro is assessed in terms of risks and opportunities for financial intermediaries, challenges for monetary and supervisory authorities and issues for portfolio management and corporate finance.

Part of the Oxford EU Financial Regulation Series, this work analyses the implications of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) and the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) for banks in Europe, and the second edition reflects the experience in practice of this regime both economically and legally. The new edition provides reflection on the efficacy and problems with the central banking regulatory regime. There are new chapters on fit and proper testing under the SSM and deposit guarantee schemes. A further additional chapter considers the impact of the Bank Resolution and Recovery Directive (BRRD) and its interaction with the SRM by detailed analysis of relevant case law. Whist offering insightful updates to existing chapters on the Single Rulebook, CRD IV, the SSM and the SRM, the second edition also includes brand new chapters covering a range of subjects. Unique to the second edition, experienced scholars and practitioners explore The Deposit Guarantee Scheme, fit and proper testing within the SMM, BRRD and SRB in practice. This book benefits from the contributions of a team of leading scholars and practitioners who present a range of perspectives and methodologies. Case studies and in depth-analysis is presented to highlight topics such as supervised credit institutions, implications for financial market governance, and risk management and compliance. European Banking Union (second edition) is the ultimate companion for academics, legal practitioners, financial supervisors, and policy makers.

'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.

Written by a major public figure and player in the events, this important book documents and evaluates a turning point in the political and economic history of Southeast Asia's most populous country, Indonesia. Controversial issues such as the infamous bank closures are analysed, and there is a wealth of detail on a range of topics during this turbulent period in Indonesia's recent history. This book contains a vast amount of original and valuable material, including the workings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at a critical juncture. It also details the various domestic responses to the crisis against the swift and ferocious behaviour of the international markets. Part autobiography and part treatise, this volume candidly examines the Bank Indonesia crisis and has important lessons and insights into the way the economy was managed in the last years of the Soeharto era. A must-read for economists, government analysts and scholars of Southeast Asia and Indonesia in particular which is destined to itself generate much more debate about the events of that period.

This book evaluates key commercial law aspects of the relevant law and legislation governing residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBSs) in Australia from a legal perspective. Within the context of a "public benefit test" framework, the book seeks to critically evaluate the impact and effectiveness of current law and regulation governing RMBSs. There is a dearth of both academic and practical literature on the legal and regulatory issues surrounding RMBSs in Australia. The book aims to make a contribution to the formulation of law and public policy by suggesting a number of reforms to the current law and practice surrounding RMBSs in Australia. In part, these suggested reforms will be based on the lessons learned from the experiences of overseas jurisdictions such as Canada, the U.K, and the United States.

Money is mysterious. You can hardly touch it, and yet it rules the world. We love it, we hate it, but few people can tell you what the heck it really is. Wouldn't it be good to get out of the fog? This book can bring you clarity. It can help you see money for what it is, understand the way it works, and how to leverage its power. The authors take you on an illuminating journey from your piggy bank to the Federal Reserve, without any pesky jargon or complex math. Once you see money clearly, life will never be the same. You'll know what really goes on in banks, and what the cash in your wallet represents. You'll know how government really spends, and why it can't run out of money. You'll know what money can actually do-- and how we can make it work for us.

In the aftermath of the last financial crisis, on both sides of the Atlantic banking supervisors were given new supervisory and enforcement powers, which are often of a substantially punitive-criminal nature. In Europe in particular, the establishment of the Single Supervisory Mechanism within the European Central Bank substantially increased centralised investigatory and sanctioning powers. This major innovation, together with the development of forms of real-time monitoring of banking (often digital) records, challenges traditional banking criminal investigations in their national-based and analogue dimension.The book offers a comprehensive account and perspective analysis of the interactions between the criminal and administrative nature of such new powers, highlighting their "punitive" overall nature and their impact on fundamental rights. Covering both the US and the EU regulatory frameworks, it presents unprecedented, trans-systemic research between criminal law and procedure, and between regulatory and administrative law, at the international, European and national level.The book also includes a rich and detailed selection of case law from the US and the European supreme courts, with a specific focus on CJEU and ECtHR decisions.

"Bank Performance, Risk and Securitisation" brings together the latest research on banking, financial markets, and the recent financial crisis. Written by a group of leading scholars, it offers both empirical and theoretical perspectives on topics such as Basel III and bank efficiency; microcredit securitization; asset-backed securitization and credit risk; asset management issues in sovereign wealth funds. It also examines the impact of the new structural liquidity rules on the profitability of EU banks and examines China's controlled potential property bubble and its economic slowdown. The book provides state-of-the-art scholarly research on bank performance, risk and securitisation and is essential reading for scholars, researchers, graduate students and consulting firms interested in banking and financial markets.

As the linchpin of the global financial system, the International Monetary Fund provides the balance of payments support, chiefly to developing countries, conditional on strict remedial policy measures. Its approach to policy remains highly controversial, however. While the Fund claims it has adapted, critics allege its policies are harshly doctrinaire, imposing hardships on already poverty-stricken people. For the critics, the half century of its existence is `fifty years too long' and radical change is essential. This book examines the arguments, tracing the extent of Fund adaption, presenting major new evidence on the consequences of fund programes, and considering its future role.

Central Bank Policy: Theory and Practice analyses policies and practices adopted by central banks globally, as well as the institutional arrangements underlying the principles of good governance in policymaking. Discussion focuses on philosophical and conceptual theories that have key implications for central bank policy making and findings are supported by relevant quantitative analyses and case studies reflecting recent issues with respect to centralized financial policy making, including the adoption of the Inflation Targeting Framework in Indonesia. The book bridges the gap between theory and practice within the central bank policy framework by going beyond the rapidity of theoretical developments to address lesser known and understood policy practices, such as the Flexible Inflation Targeting Framework and macroprudential policy. With wide ranging scope and in-depth materials presented, alongside the authors' extensive experiences and involvement in the policymaking process at Bank Indonesia, Central Bank Policy is a vital practical tool and reference aid for policymakers, practitioners and academic researchers in the area of financial, banking, and monetary policies.

Born into one of the wealthiest families in America—he was the youngest son of Standard Oil scion John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the celebrated patron of modern art Abby Aldrich Rockefeller—David Rockefeller has carried his birthright into a distinguished life of his own. His dealings with world leaders from Zhou Enlai and Mikhail Gorbachev to Anwar Sadat and Ariel Sharon, his service to every American president since Eisenhower, his remarkable world travels and personal dedication to his home city of New York—here, the first time a Rockefeller has told his own story, is an account of a truly rich life.

The Federal Reserve System, which has been Congress s agent for the control of money since 1913, has a mixed reputation. Its errors have been huge. It was the principal cause of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the inflation of the 1970s, and participated in the massive bailouts of financial institutions at taxpayer s expense during the recent Great Recession.

This book is a study of the causes of the Fed s errors, with lessons for an improved monetary authority, beginning with an examination of the history of central banks, in which it is found that their performance depended on their incentives, as is to be expected of economic agents. An implication of these findings is that the Fed s failings must be traced to its institutional independence, particularly of the public welfare. Consequently, its policies have been dictated by special interests: financial institutions who desire public support without meaningful regulation, as well as presidents and those portions of Congress desiring growing government financed by inflation.

Monetary stability (which used to be thought the primary purpose of central banks) requires responsibility, meaning punishment for failure, instead of a remote and irresponsible (to the public) agency such as the Fed. It requires either private money motivated by profit or Congress disciplined by the electoral system as before 1913. Change involving the least disturbance to the system suggests the latter."