Kula contends that conventional time-dependent theories in welfare economics are based on the unwarranted assumption that people live forever, an assumption that underpins the criteria for many decision-making activities and one that leads public sector policy makers to discriminate against future generations. It is seen in its most extreme in decision making on such long-term projects as nuclear power facilities, whose effects will be visited upon many future generations. How did this assumption gain currency and influence? Kula says, this oddity has been imposed by mathematical economists who now dominate the scene. Kula aggressively challenges these theories, which he alleges are untrue and unjust, provides an alternative method for discounting, and shows how its application can yield dramatically positive results. His book is thus a unique, important contribution to the theory and practice of decision making in public endeavors, intended not only for academics but equally for their practitioner colleagues in all parts of the world.

Kula corrects the conventional theory by assuming societal models in which individuals are mortal and generations overlap. From this emerges a new discounting theory which leads to outcomes that are dramatically different from the old ones. The new criterion is called modified discounting, and can be readily applied to real-life projects. In Part I, Kula lays out his theory and constructs the new decision-making method, in which public policy makers accept the proposition that all generations ought to be treated equitably. Then, in Part II, he provides five case studies to illustrate his theory, each devoted to major public activities such as nuclear waste disposal, forestry, agriculture, and urban transport, and based on experiences in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

An updated revisting of the themes of Robin Marris' classic The Economic Theory of Managerial Capitalism (1964). This was widely recognised as pathbreaking as it was the first attempt by a professional economist to make a formal theory of the behaviour and growth of a large-scale 'managerial' corporation based on a realistic assessment of the sociological and institutional environment. The model determined the long-run growth rates of individual firms on the basis of the financial and market environment on the one hand and the needs, interest and aspirations of both managers and shareholders on the other. Managers in particular were shown to trade desire for growth against fear of takeover. These then novel important features of modern capitalism - mergers, takeovers and executive bonuses and the relationship between the growth of firms and the growth of the economy - have become increasingly topical. The book contains the original introduction along with reworked and updated coverage of the theoretical model, along with completely new chapters both of micro-theory and Marris' substantive response to the debate which the original book created.

Germany's ability to support its war machine financially has long puzzled scholars. The young nation had exhausted itself paying for its loss in the First World War, had suffered a hyperinflation in the early 1920s, and had ended the 1920s with a terrible economic depression. This is the first book in any language to examine the budget policies of the middle years of the Weimar Republic and to look at how these policies changed the politics of the time. It is also the first work to support the government's aggressive use of deficit spending and fiscal stimuli to promote economic growth. Some findings even indicate that the German government could have used creative financial solutions to avoid the worst of the Depression and to avert the Nazi regime.

Clingan explores the changes and continuities in fiscal policy and budget-making politics, beginning in the last years of the Wilhelmine Empire and continuing into the 1930s. Although this is a story about money, it is also a story about men. Very few in Nazi Germany understood the intricacies of fiscal policy and budget making, and political parties tended to follow the lead of those who did. Clingan combines their personal stories with the tale of a country still growing into its economic power and still trying to learn both its limits and its strengths.

The choice of currency denomination, indexation, and maturity structure of public debt is an increasingly important aspect of policy in a world of high debts and and financially integrated markets. This book surveys theories and evidence on public debt composition and debt returns with the goal of emphasizing the main policy issues.

Finance Capital Today is shortlisted for the The Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial Prize 2017. Finance Capital Today presents a rich new analysis of the specific features of contemporary capitalism, notably its truly global nature and its financialisation, calling on Marxist analyses of the concentration, centralisation and globalisation of capital and Marx's theory of interest-bearing and fictitious capital. Chesnais shows how financial globalisation and the exponential growth of financial assets have developed alongside the globalisation of productive capital, paying special attention to the contemporary operations of transnational corporations and global oligopoly. He argues that the macroeconomic perspective is one in which large amounts of capital are looking for profitable investment in a setting of underlying overproduction and low profits. The outcome will be low global growth, repeated financial shocks and the growing interconnection between the environmental and economic crises.

Informal finance consists of nonbank financing activities, whether conducted through family and friends, local money houses, or other types of financial associations. It has provided much-needed financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular, in the face of a tightly constrained and overburdened formal banking system. Unable to obtain a bank loan, firms have relied upon individuals and informal organizations outside of the banking system to obtain financing for their ventures or working capital (operating funds). Presently there is a scarcity of information on informal finance in China and it is expected to have a significant impact upon GDP and money supply.
This book, with contributions from leading scholars, describes the evolution, characteristics, and variation of informal finance in China from American and Chinese perspectives. Literature by Jiang Shuxia, Jiang Xuzhao, and Li Jianjun has heretofore been available only in Chinese, while work by Kellee Tsai, Jianwen Liao, Harold Welsch, David Pistrui, and Sara Hsu has been available in English. For the first time, they come together to discuss informal financing and its many aspects.
Most of the essays are based upon original survey research conducted locally, as this type of data is not normally collected by the government. The papers pioneer the description and analysis of the nuances of informal finance from several perspectives; the authors look at the social, cultural, political, and economic causes of informal finance, its many variations, and its economic, personal, and political ramifications.

The financial stress of 2008 propelled the world into the most severe recession since the great depression. Despite the significant risk that it poses to the real economy, the complex interaction between financial stress and economic performance is not well understood due to the crucial gaps that remain in our understanding of this critical and dynamic relationship. Dynamics of Financial Stress and Economic Performance: Insights and Analysis from the World Economy attempts to understand the complex non-linear dynamics between financial system stress and economic performance on a global level. An analytical approach is taken to examine twelve major countries, and provide a detailed understanding of the crucial financial and economic issues faced in light of financial stress; including interest rate bottoms, inflation asymmetries, financial health of households, money supply bubbles, fiscal issues, trade dynamics, over leveraging of the financial markets, behaviour of housing prices, debt problems, potential for economic growth, or a complex combination of any of the above. This book will appeal to practitioners, students and researchers in fields such as financial economics, risk management and quantitative finance who wish to expand their knowledge of these crucial and complex dynamics. It is also an appealing read for those who are generally curious about business, banking, financial markets and macro-economic issues occurring on both an individual country and global level.

Praise for "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes Procedure, Law, and Perspective" Second Edition

"The Honorable David Laro and Dr. Shannon Pratt present a comprehensive primer on federal tax valuation controversies that will benefit both tax practitioners (attorneys and CPAs) and valuation practitioners. . . . It serves as a valued reference source and an introductory text for legal and valuation training."
--Roger J. Grabowski, Duff & Phelps Corp. from the Foreword

" I]t is refreshing to see these two close observers of valuation issues collaborate on this intriguing volume. What the reader gets is something like a mural--depicting the life of a business appraisal from conception to preparation to the occasional ultimate use by a trier of fact."
--Ronald D. Aucutt, Esq.McGuireWoods LLP, from the Foreword

"This offering from Judge David Laro and Dr. Shannon Pratt fills in some persistent gaps in the business valuation literature, as well as a surprisingly fresh treatment of perennial themes."
--John A. Bogdanski, Professor of LawLewis & Clark Law School, from the Foreword

Straightforward guidance and perspective on business valuation from two of the nation's top authorities

Written by Senior Judge David Laro and Shannon Pratt, both leading experts on the subject, "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes," Second Edition provides a comprehensive overview of business valuation procedures.

The new edition offers:

Insightful perspectives of personal versus enterprise goodwill

New materials on transfer pricing and customs valuations and how recent markets have affected both the income and market approaches

Timely coverage of FAS 157 and its many changes to penalties and sanctions affecting both taxpayers and appraisers

Exploration of new court cases

Presenting knowledge and guidance to those who perform valuations as well as those who are affected by them, "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes," Second Edition is the essential guide to federal taxes and valuation, and specifically valuations relating to business interests.

The first major global economic contraction of the 21st century, or the 'Great Recession', as it is more commonly known, began in December of 2007, and would prove to be one of the most catastrophic economic events in postmodern history. The bursting of the American housing bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis that followed are widely attributed as being the primary causes for this economic downturn.The content of this book presents an in-depth analysis of several of the leading causes of the subprime crisis, as well as the subsequent measures that were used to contain a widespread economic recession. It is the aim of this book to provide adequate information and tools for readers to gain insight on how we can prevent the same mistakes from happening again. This analysis also explores an interesting question when considering public policy; was the economic disaster, that ensued, caused by overzealous consumers who borrowed more than they could afford, or was it caused by institutional entities that gambled away the American economy?

The Bank Director's Handbook is a comprehensive guide that enables directors - and bankers - to meet the challenges of the financial services industry and to fulfill the legal and regulatory requirements facing them. In-depth technical knowledge of the markets, the industry, and the myriad regulations that surround them is more important than ever before. The Bank Director's Handbook provides bank directors and bank management with the tools they need to fulfill their duties. The Bank Director's Handbook includes coverage of profitability and performance issues; a director's view of internal controls; development of bank marketing strategy; asset/liability management and the effects of interest rate risk; a comprehensive review of portfolio instruments, including derivatives; lending issues; legal risks and obligations; and working within the new regulatory framework. The Bank Director's Handbook enables bank management and directors to master the challenge of a safe, sound and profitable institution, while dealing with the requirements and obligations that are unique to the board.

Banking entities have significant involvement and impact on the structure of a nation's economy. By utilizing the proper strategies and available data, banks can act as an effective financial instrument for economic enhancement. Examining the Role of National Promotional Banks in the European Economy: Global Insights and Implications is a pivotal reference source for the latest perspectives on the performance and evaluation of National Promotional Banks (NPBs) within European economic contexts and their impact on social welfare. Featuring relevant coverage across innovative topics, such as funding, productivity, and financial structure indicators, this publication is ideally designed for professionals, academics, graduate students, and practitioners seeking investigations on the European NPB business model.

The book provides a study of the investment environment for international enterprises in China and overseas investment by Chinese enterprises. Applying statistical methods and up-to-date data analysis, it examines every aspect of the investment environment in China. The author's ideas are further illustrated with 39 figures and diagrams. Its 18 chapters discuss topics ranging from history, the current situation and problems of foreign investment in China, to China's policies for attracting foreign investment, the top 500 global companies in China, urban competitive analysis and multinational corporations in Beijing. It also analyzes Chinese investment in foreign countries. It is a valuable investment guide, and is also a useful reference resource for academic research and teaching related to international business and the Chinese economy.

Provocative and controversial, the information found in Empowered Investing reveals powerful tricks of the investment trade. It will give you the education and information to be a confident, informed, and hugely successful investor.

The most successful investors in history, such as Charles Henry Dow, used unique analysis and charting methods. These are the secrets Wall Street doesn't want you to know. Relying on the media and Wall Street research is painful and no longer necessary.

With the advice offered by author Joseph F. LoPresti, you'll learn to chart stocks like Dow, isolate hot sector opportunities, and select the strongest stocks to buy through a series of easy, almost effortless strategies. These exercises will also help you reduce risk and give you a "sell discipline," something desperately needed by most investors. Once you read "Empowered Investing," you'll see how easy it is to implement these startling strategies.

"Empowered Investing" will introduce a different way to make investment decisions that will instantly help you manage your portfolio, build your wealth, and enrich your life.

The goal of Angel Financing is to get deals funded by providing useful, research-grounded, relevant, practical information to investors, entrepreneurs, and intermediaries.

This area of investment is the "pre-IPO," characterized by private placement transactions primarily equity in nature. Entrepreneurs must understand the problem, face the challenge, and possess the skills necessary to address the problem. Because their resources, time, and training are limited, entrepreneurs must understand the private placement, a unique process that demands a capitalization strategy.

Most importantly, entrepreneurs must embrace the investor perspective. In this one-of-a-kind book, Angel Financing provides a strategy that works. Hundreds of people have used the principles detailed in this book to raise millions of dollars.

The value of the angel investor, after all, can no longer be denied: Angel capital is the primary source of capital for early-stage deals. This fact alone accounts for the plethora of matching networks, seminars, and venture forums on the subject. Although the huge contribution of the angel capital market in creating jobs, expanding the tax base, and increasing our global competitiveness through technological innovation is well known, little is understood about the angel equity market and how deals really get done.

Moreover, over the last ten years, the authors have built the largest angel database in North America and interviewed thousands of investors about the nature of the pre-IPO investment process. Through their proprietary research and their comprehensive development of a typology of investors, the reader will not only be better positioned to identify and qualify investors, but will also be better sensitized to prepare the documents and the sales strategy to close their deals.

In Angel Financing, the angel investors tell their stories in their own words. The reader learns in depth about the forces that create this investment opportunity in high-risk investing. The reader journeys through the investors’ hedging strategies, risk assessments, syndication orientation, financial return expectations, deal structuring preferences, monitoring investments, harvesting returns, and realistic exit strategies.

What’s more, many investors themselves do not understand the valuation process involved in "blue sky" deals where there are no historical financials available. The valuation process is an art form in early-stage investing and for the first time it is candidly reviewed.

Even more important is the due diligence process. Angel Financing answers the most basic questions that sometimes even investors are too embarrassed to ask. So for straight talk on how to make money in this market, get the insights of the successful investors who have made millions.

In the United States, two million investors possess the discretionary net worth necessary to invest in pre-IPO private placements. Why is it that only 250,000 to 300,000 are active each year? The reason is that these investors–while interested–do not understand the process, do not understand how to find the deal, do not know how to determine which deal justifies their efforts, and do not know how to develop a hedging strategy.

Whether you are a dreamer, dream maker, or providing services to either, Angel Financing is the ultimate practical reference guide to add to your professional business development library.

GERALD A. BENJAMIN is Senior Managing Partner of International Capital Resources, a capital sourcing firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. He is the founder of the largest database of angel investors in the United States and developed the largest investor-entrepreneur matching network in North America. Mr. Benjamin is publisher of the Private Equity Review, the Executive Director of the Northern California Venture Forum, and Executive Director of the Angel Capital Summit (the largest annual angel capital conference in the United States). He is also a founding partner in Angel Lake Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund specializing in medical, telecommunications, Internet and high-tech manuals.

Get the money your start-up business needs

"Finally, two experienced fundraising advisors demystify the process for entrepreneurs and individual investors. This should be required reading for ALL start-up companies because an outside capital investment is paramount to their existence." – Lori King CEO and Founder NVST.COM, Inc.

"Angel Financing presents an innovative capitalization strategy that works. Based on extensive academic research and filled with practical advice, it is an invaluable resource for all participants in the early-stage capital formation process." – E. Jeffrey Lyons Managing Director Marquette Consulting Group, Inc.

"I think Angel Financing must be read by all those looking to raise capital. It is also a great resource for those angel investors with little experience but the desire to get involved with early- stage companies." – George A. Mathews President Southwest Capital Resources, Inc.

"Angel Financing is the most comprehensive guide for private investments that I have seen. A must-read for angels and entrepreneurs!" – Jerry E. White Business Founder, Owner, and Chairman/CEO ICR Licensee

In The Search for Value: Measuring the Company's Cost of Capital, Michael C. Ehrhardt analyzes the latest prescriptive techniques and models for determining the cost of capital. He provides a comprehensive framework for practitioners by detailing the various methods for accurately evaluating investment in projects, divisions, or entire companies. He begins with a general discussion of the cost of capital within the context of a firm's overall search for value and continues on to cover such topics as discounted cash flow analysis, flotation costs, long-term projects, and international projects, as well as situations in which traditional cash flow analysis may not apply, such as regulated companies. Ehrhardt moves easily through a variety of technical concepts, providing numerous step-by-step examples to explain how theoretical constructs can be applied to daily financial decisions. He also provides a particularly detailed analysis of estimating capital costs in multidivisional, multiproduct, and multinational firms. Each chapter features an extensive bibliography for further reading. Written for financial directors, planners, managers, and analysts as well as for those who study finance issues, this work successfully addresses the concerns of financial practitioners. In today's competitive business environment, the consequences of miscalculation can be devastating. Correctly evaluating the cost of capital and thereby determining the value-creating potential of investments is a business imperative. The Search for Value is a unique synthesis of the issues surrounding the cost of capital, presenting the most comprehensive treatment of the topic to date. Those who implement the ideas in thisbook will enjoy the returns made possible by accurate measurements of the cost of capital as an integral part of capital budgeting and strategic planning. The Search for Value launches the Harvard Business School Press's publication of the Financial Management Association Survey and Synthesis Series, which seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and practice in the field of finance.

This contributed volume combines approaches of the current inequality debate with aspects of finance based on profound macroeconomic model analyses. Research on inequality has had a long tradition in economics. With the financial crisis from 2007, not only output decreased tremendously, but also inequality has risen since then. The book presents selected contributions of a workshop held at Bielefeld University in 2016 and features additional papers written by experts in the field. A mixture of established researchers and young scholars presents both theoretical and empirical frameworks to analyze the subject.

The only guide focusing entirely on practical approaches to pricing and hedging derivatives One valuable lesson of the financial crisis was that derivatives and risk practitioners don't really understand the products they're dealing with. Written by a practitioner for practitioners, this book delivers the kind of knowledge and skills traders and finance professionals need to fully understand derivatives and price and hedge them effectively. Most derivatives books are written by academics and are long on theory and short on the day-to-day realities of derivatives trading. Of the few practical guides available, very few of those cover pricing and hedging two critical topics for traders. What matters to practitioners is what happens on the trading floor information only seasoned practitioners such as authors Marroni and Perdomo can impart. * Lays out proven derivatives pricing and hedging strategies and techniques for equities, FX, fixed income and commodities, as well as multi-assets and cross-assets * Provides expert guidance on the development of structured products, supplemented with a range of practical examples * Packed with real-life examples covering everything from option payout with delta hedging, to Monte Carlo procedures to common structured products payoffs * The Companion Website features all of the examples from the book in Excel complete with source code

The world's top trader's reveal the secrets of their phenomenal success

How do the world's most successful traders amass tens, hundreds of millions of dollars a year? Are they masters of an occult knowledge, lucky winners in a random market lottery, natural-born virtuosi--Mozarts of the markets? In search of an answer, bestselling author Jack D. Schwager interviewed dozens of top traders across most financial markets. While their responses differed in the details, all of them could be boiled down to the same essential formula: solid methodology + proper mental attitude = trading success. In "Market Wizards" Schwager lets you hear, in their own words, what those super-traders had to say about their unprecedented successes, and he distils their responses down into a set of guiding principles you can use to become a trading star in your own right. Features interviews with superstar money-makers including Bruce Kovner, Richard Dennis, Paul Tudor Jones, Michel Steinhardt, Ed Seykota, Marty Schwartz, Tom Baldwin, and moreTells the true stories behind sensational trading coups, including the one about the trader who turned $30,000 into $80 million, the hedge fund manager who's averaged 30% returns every year for the past twenty-one years, and the T-bond futures trader who parlayed $25,000 into $2 billion in a single day

"Market Wizards is one of the most fascinating books ever written about Wall Street. A few of the 'Wizards' are my friends--and Jack Schwager has nailed their modus operandi on the head."--Martin W. Zweig, Ph.D., Editor, "The Zweig Forecast"