An introductory text which should serve as a useful reference and guide for commerce students, public servants and members of the business fraternity alike. It gives the reader an overview of how the various institutions in the South African financial system operate as well as of the different financial markets in the South African economy and the instruments traded in those markets. This publication is aimed particularly at South African students. Each chapter starts with study objectives relevant to the material covered. Jargon that may be unfamiliar is explained in lay terms. It refers throughout to both international and local market practices and norms where relevant. Students in financial management and monetary economics will find this a helpful aid to understanding the financial markets in South Africa.

The aim of this publication is to show students and practising internal and external auditors how economy, efficiency and effectiveness apply to performance auditing. It is difficult to explain the complexities of performance auditing to newcomers in the field in a way that makes sense the first time round. There is little practical, step-by-step guidance on the topic available in South Africa at present. This is an odd situation, especially when one considers that the revised estimate for government expenditure for the 2003/2004 financial year was R331 685 billion and the estimate for the 2004/2005 financial year is R368 904 billion. Performance auditing can play a vital role in ensuring that taxpayers' money is well spent when it comes to the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. One reason for the lack of published practical guidance on the topic is that no two audits are identical, so it is difficult to set out rules that can be applied again and again. Each performance audit will have a different focus area, and each focus area will require different criteria to be tested. For this reason, the publication emphasises those elements that are relevant to all performance audits and that can be applied easily and successfully. The guidance given here takes the form of a step-by-step approach to performance auditing and is intended to empower new performance auditors and team leaders alike.

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.

This clear and concise Advanced Introduction to National Accounting explores the post-1960 modernization of national accounting. John M. Hartwick offers insights into the arrival of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and user cost, highlighting the importance of Tornqvist index numbers and translog production, cost and utility functions in its modernization. Key features include: an exploration of personal income distribution and national accounting an exposition of the links between various forms of utility functions and index numbers a chapter devoted to the incorporation of the decline in stocks of natural capital into the national accounts a report on the measurement of welfare and GDP change arising from technical change and shifts in a nation's terms of trade. An important read for economics and accounting scholars, this Advanced Introduction offers useful insights to the key topics around national accounting. It will be a helpful tool for students on advanced macroeconomics and economics of natural resources courses.

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. Covering all aspects of federal securities law, this Advanced Introduction provides an excellent understanding of how U.S. securities regulation works, particularly as this emerging area of law becomes more prevalent for those working or involved in general corporate and commercial practices. It examines the definition of securities and how modern investment opportunities may be subject to this regulation as well as more traditional forms such as stocks or bonds. Key Features: Providing up to date information on the latest developments in securities law Presenting complex material in a clear and comprehensive format and defining key concepts Thoroughly reviewing significant Supreme Court cases, alongside the noteworthy statues and Securities and Exchange Commission Rules This informative book will be invaluable reading for practitioners and others engaged in the business and securities world looking for a detailed overview of U.S. securities law. It will also be a useful resource for lawyers, scholars, and policy advisors.

Developed for the new International A Level 2018 specification, these new resources are specifically designed for international students, with a strong focus on progression, recognition and transferable skills, allowing learning in a local context to a global standard. Recognised by universities worldwide and fully comparable to UK reformed GCE A levels. Supports a modular approach, in line with the specification. Appropriate international content puts learning in a real-world context, to a global standard, making it engaging and relevant for all learners. Reviewed by a language specialist to ensure materials are written in a clear and accessible style. The embedded transferable skills, needed for progression to higher education and employment, are signposted so students understand what skills they are developing and therefore go on to use these skills more effectively in the future. Exam practice provides opportunities to assess understanding and progress, so students can make the best progress they can.

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.

"Loeb tells us to put all our eggs in one basket, and watch the basket."
-John RothchildFinancial Columnist, Time magazine
"This book is very special in my life. It is the very first Wall Street book I ever read. After reading 1,200 additional finance books, The Battle for Investment Survival's principles and concepts are still valid for consistent success."
-Victor Sperandeo Author of Trader Vic on Commodities
In The Battle for Investment Survival, the turf is Wall Street, the goal is to preserve your capital at all costs, and to win is to "make a killing without being killed." This memorable classic, originally written in 1935, offers a fresh perspective on investing from times past. The Battle for Investment Survival treats investors to a straightforward account of how to profit-and how to avoid profit loss-in what Loeb would describe as the constant tug-of-war between rising and falling markets.

The advancement in FinTech especially artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), has significantly affected the way financial services are offered and adopted today. Important financial decisions such as investment decision making, macroeconomic analysis, and credit evaluation are getting more complex in the field of finance. ML is used in many financial companies which are making a significant impact on financial services. With the increasing complexity of financial transaction processes, ML can reduce operational costs through process automation which can automate repetitive tasks and increase productivity. Among others, ML can analyze large volumes of historical data and make better trading decisions to increase revenue. This book provides an exhaustive overview of the roles of AI and ML algorithms in financial sectors with special reference to complex financial applications such as financial risk management in a big data environment. In addition, it provides a collection of high-quality research works that address broad challenges in both theoretical and application aspects of AI in the field of finance.

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.

Based on the synthesis of a large empirical and theoretical literature on center-region relations in China and Russia, Federalism in China and Russia is one of the first attempts to integrate this literature from different disciplines into a coherent common framework. Libman and Rochlitz argue that the divergence in growth performance between Russia and China can be - at least partially - explained by a number of features of the Chinese system of center-regional relations. The authors offer a comparative analysis of the development of center-region relations in Russia and in China and explore several dimensions of these relations: fiscal ties and incentives; bureaucratic practices; flows of information; and local government practices, while addressing the determinants of divergence between both countries. They also examine how the Chinese system has recently started to change, by adopting several features of the Russian model, which might be one of the reasons for China's declining growth performance in recent years. Federalism in China and Russia should be read by scholars in public economics, political economy and comparative politics, as well as by students and policy analysts. For scholars, the book serves as a point of reference in studying the comparative evolution of the two countries. It will enrich the discussion on fiscal federalism, center-region relations and sub-national political regimes, and could potentially become an important part of syllabi in political economy, public economics and comparative politics courses. For policy analysts, the book offers a comprehensive survey of the evolution of center-periphery relations of the two countries and the differences between them, which is important to better understand the overall development of Russia and China.