Financial centres are constantly evolving to accommodate an increasingly integrated global economy and an equally challenging environment post financial crisis. They are home to a range of financial services and serve as intermediaries between mostly non-resident clients and international and local financial institutions, large or small. Financial centres have grown over recent decades as a direct result of the increasing importance of financial markets across the globe. Using analysis from a representative sample of financial centres in Europe and elsewhere, face-to-face surveys pre and post crisis and systematic comparisons, "Financial Centres in Europe" provides a comprehensive assessment of the extent to which increased international cooperation in regulation and taxation could allow financial centres to better respond to risks and opportunities facing them in the future. At the same time, it identifies challenges of a geopolitical and macroeconomic nature facing financial centres in the coming years.

Originally written for a conference of the Federal Reserve, Gary Gorton's "The Panic of 2007" garnered enormous attention and is considered by many to be the most convincing take on the recent economic meltdown. Now, in Slapped by the Invisible Hand, Gorton builds upon this seminal work, explaining how the securitized-banking system, the nexus of financial markets and instruments unknown to most people, stands at the heart of the financial crisis.
Gorton shows that the Panic of 2007 was not so different from the Panics of 1907 or of 1893, except that, in 2007, most people had never heard of the markets that were involved, didn't know how they worked, or what their purposes were. Terms like subprime mortgage, asset-backed commercial paper conduit, structured investment vehicle, credit derivative, securitization, or repo market were meaningless. In this superb volume, Gorton makes all of this crystal clear. He shows that the securitized banking system is, in fact, a real banking system, allowing institutional investors and firms to make enormous, short-term deposits. But as any banking system, it was vulnerable to a panic. Indeed the events starting in August 2007 can best be understood not as a retail panic involving individuals, but as a wholesale panic involving institutions, where large financial firms "ran" on other financial firms, making the system insolvent.
An authority on banking panics, Gorton is the ideal person to explain the financial calamity of 2007. Indeed, as the crisis unfolded, he was working inside an institution that played a central role in the collapse. Thus, this book presents the unparalleled and invaluable perspective of a top scholar who was also a key insider.

Praise for the first edition: 'The new book by Michael Mitsopoulos and Theodore Pelagidis offers insightful analysis of the Greek drama. It makes fascinating reading and well demonstrates that the blame is widely shared.' Andre Sapir, University Professor, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and former Economic Advisor to the President of the European Commission 'Who is to blame for Greece? If I could pick just two experts on the Greek debacle to answer this question it would be Theodore Pelagidis and Michael Mitsopoulos. And thankfully they have done just that in this penetrating analysis of what has happened to Greece over the past five years. It's a timely and incisive work and no one gets off easy a must read.' Landon Thomas, Jr, Financial Reporter, New York Times, USA This expanded and enlarged second edition of Theodore Pelagidis and Michael Mitsopoulos' popular Who's to Blame for Greece? (2016) reviews Greece's economy since its accession to the Monetary Union, with new research focusing on the perils of the populist Syrizia government during the critical 'Grexit' period of 2015-2016. The authors also focus on political developments since that time and in particular propose a new form of taxation as well as explore debt sustainability in relation to Greece's economic challenges. This book will appeal to researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in the EU and the political economy of Greece and offers valuable updates on the first edition.

The spirited and measured memoir of Walter Bagehot, had he left one Walter Bagehot (1826-1877) was a prominent English journalist, banker, and man of letters. For many years he was editor of The Economist, and to this day the magazine includes a weekly "Bagehot" column. His analyses of politics, economics, and public affairs were nothing short of brilliant. Sadly, he left no memoir. How, then, does this book bear the title, The Memoirs of Walter Bagehot? Frank Prochaska explains, "Given my longstanding interest in Bagehot's life and times, I decided to compose a memoir on his behalf." And so, in this imaginative reconstruction of the memoir Bagehot might have written, Prochaska assumes his subject's voice, draws on his extensive writings (Bagehot's Collected Works fill 15 volumes), and scrupulously avoids what Bagehot considered that most unpardonable of faults-dullness. A faux autobiography allows for considerable license, but Prochaska remains true to Bagehot's character and is accurate in his depiction of the times. The memoir immerses us in the spirit of the Victorian era and makes us wish to have known Walter Bagehot. He is, Prochaska observes, the Victorian with whom we would most want to have dinner.

The term 'housing crisis' has, in recent times, been associated with rising foreclosure rates and tottering financial institutions, particularly in the US and Europe. However, in many rapidly urbanizing emerging countries, the housing crisis is about urban poverty, unplanned settlements, overcrowded slums and homelessness. Both these faces of the housing crisis require solutions for housing finance mechanisms and systems that lie at the root of each. A well functioning housing finance system can play an important role in helping to fulfil multiple objectives - promoting social and political stability, enhancing housing market performance, as well as contributing to financial sector stability and development. However, the complex systems within which it is embedded are also vulnerable to risks from multiple sources of market, political, and regulatory failures. This book draws on a wealth of examples from around the world to provide a road map for building more resilient housing finance systems.

In April 2010 Europe was shocked by the Greek financial turmoil. At that time, the global financial crisis, which started in the summer of 2007 and reached systemic dimensions in September 2008 with the Lehman Brothers' crash, took a new course. An adverse feedback loop between sovereign and bank risks reflected into bubble-like spreads, as if financial markets had received a wake-up call concerning the disregarded structural vulnerability of economies at risk. These events inspired the SYRTO project to "think and rethink" the economic and financial system and to conceive it as an "ensemble" of Sovereigns and Banks with other Financial Intermediaries and Corporations. Systemic Risk Tomography: Signals, Measurement and Transmission Channels proposes a novel way to explore the financial system by sectioning each part of it and analyzing all relevant inter-relationships. The financial system is inspected as a biological entity to identify the main risk signals and to provide the correct measures of prevention and intervention.

Adair Turner became chairman of Britain's Financial Services Authority just as the global financial crisis struck in 2008, and he played a leading role in redesigning global financial regulation. In this eye-opening book, he sets the record straight about what really caused the crisis. It didn't happen because banks are too big to fail--our addiction to private debt is to blame. Between Debt and the Devil challenges the belief that we need credit growth to fuel economic growth, and that rising debt is okay as long as inflation remains low. In fact, most credit is not needed for economic growth--but it drives real estate booms and busts and leads to financial crisis and depression. Turner explains why public policy needs to manage the growth and allocation of credit creation, and why debt needs to be taxed as a form of economic pollution. Banks need far more capital, real estate lending must be restricted, and we need to tackle inequality and mitigate the relentless rise of real estate prices. Turner also debunks the big myth about fiat money--the erroneous notion that printing money will lead to harmful inflation. To escape the mess created by past policy errors, we sometimes need to monetize government debt and finance fiscal deficits with central-bank money. Between Debt and the Devil shows why we need to reject the assumptions that private credit is essential to growth and fiat money is inevitably dangerous. Each has its advantages, and each creates risks that public policy must consciously balance.

An informative primer on the new landscape of leading prime brokers

Before the recent financial crisis, both regulators and market participants disregarded the complex and dangerous nature of the relationship between prime brokers (the banks) and their clients (the funds). In "When Prime Brokers Fail, " J. S. Aikman examines the convoluted structure of this relationship, the main participants, and the impact of the near collapse of prime brokerages on the financial world.

Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, "When Prime Brokers Fail" takes a close look at the unheeded risks of prime finance and lays out the steps required for managers to protect their funds and bankers to protect their brokerages.Examines the challenges, trends, and risks within the prime brokerage spaceDiscusses the structural adjustments firms will need to make to avoid similar disastersAnalyzes the complex relationship between hedge funds and their brokerages and the risks that multiply in extraordinary marketsCovers new ways to manage an inherently risky business and the regulations that may soon be introduced into this arena

Engaging and informative, this timely book details the intricacies and interdependencies of prime brokerages and the role that these operations play in our increasingly dynamic financial system.

The Great Recession is more than four years old and counting. Yet, as Paul Krugman points out in this powerful volley, "Nations rich in resources, talent, and knowledge all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all remain in a state of intense pain." How bad have things gotten? How did we get stuck in what now can only be called a depression? And above all, how do we free ourselves? Krugman pursues these questions with his characteristic lucidity and insight. He has a powerful message for anyone who has suffered over these past four years a quick, strong recovery is just one step away, if our leaders can find the "intellectual clarity and political will" to end this depression now."

In the years since the subprime financial crisis of 2007-2011, we have learned a number of important lessons about the crisis, and have subsequently applied appropriate legislation, such as increased capital ratios and systematic stress testing, in order to combat it. However, it would be naive to suggest that such measures have put an end to the possibility of future crises. In this book, senior figures in economics, risk Management, and the banking sector use active research and policy debates to offer a wide perspective on what the next financial crisis may look like and what can be done about it from a regulatory point of view. By first exploring issues of macroeconomic policy, and then studying cutting-edge methodologies, challenging important aspects of testing financial practice, this book will be an essential read for all those studying and researching financial crises, financial regulation and macroprudential policy-making.

This contributed volume explores the political economy and socioeconomic aspects of the Greek Financial Crisis both within the country's borders and as part of the global economy. With chapters authored by international experts, this book examines and explicitly deals with specific and important issues that have been ignored by the dominant socioeconomic theory and practice, which have largely focused on the causes and broad economic consequences of the crisis. Discussions include the efficacy of new EU institutions created to address the crisis, the rise of unregistered economic activity, and comparisons with financial crises in countries beyond Europe. This diverse collection argues that the Greek Financial Crisis was not just an economic crisis, but a political and social crisis as well, one with repercussions beyond Europe.

The world is presently buffeted by many challenges, some of which manifest in new forms, such as Fintech and cryptocurrencies, while some challenges prevail out of the legacy trailed behind by the 2007 global financial crisis. Financial stability represents a highly complex and multi-dimensional concept. This being so, a sound and holistic financial stability assessment requires a focus not only on the distinct sectors which make up an economy but also on certain key economic areas. Economic Areas Under Financial Stability examines several core areas which interact directly with financial stability. A comprehensive consideration is given to local and international developments, the payment and settlements system, reserves, derivatives,and exchange rates. The book examines critical developments on both the local and international fronts, the systematic risks which characterise the payment and settlements system, different instruments of derivatives, and the significance of fiscal and monetary policy in relation to exchange rates. This book will prove valuable to central bankers, economists, and policy-makers who are involved in the field of financial stability, as well as researchers studying the field.

As featured on CNN's Amanpour & Company and BBC Radio 4's Start the Week with Andrew Marr One of the Financial Times' best books of 2021 In this extraordinary journey through twenty-six countries, Simon Mundy meets the people on the front lines of the climate crisis, showing how the struggle to respond is already reshaping the modern world - shattering communities, shaking up global business, and propelling a groundbreaking wave of cutting-edge innovation. HOW is China's green energy push driving a hazardous mining rush in Congo? WHY is a maverick scientist building a home for engineered mammoths in northeast Siberia? CAN an Israeli fake meat startup make a fortune while helping to save the Amazon? WILL Greenland's melting sea ice put its people at the centre of a global power struggle? WHO are the entrepreneurs chasing breakthroughs in fusion power, electric cars, and technology to suck carbon from the atmosphere? As the impacts of climate change cascade across the planet and the global economy, who is battling to survive the worst impacts - and who is chasing the most lucrative rewards? Telling unforgettable human stories from six continents, this is an account of disaster, of promise, of frantic adaptation and relentless innovation, of hope, of survival, and of the forces that will define our future. More praise 'Vivid and informed' ADAM NICOLSON 'I took a great sense of hope' RICHARD POWERS 'Reads like a thriller' MARK LYNAS 'An inspiring piece of work that deserves a broad audience' MICHAEL E. MANN 'Utterly unlike any book yet written in this field' ANAND MAHINDRA 'Gripping ... A must-read for every concerned global citizen' NANDAN NILEKANI

Disaster risk management is of increasing significance in today's world. Every year, natural disasters cause tens of thousands of deaths and tens of billions of dollars' worth of losses. Northeast Asia holds a high propensity for natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods and landslides. Countries in the region have a long history of natural disasters that have devastated populations, cities and their heritage. Restoring livelihoods and rebuilding social and economic infrastructures requires adequate political actions and financial resources, necessitating the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the management of catastrophe risks. Coping with Disaster: Risk Management in Northeast Asia provides an examination of the disaster risk management approaches and financing practices adopted in China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. The objective of this book is to provide the necessary information on hazards, exposures and vulnerabilities to assist policy development design to increase governmental preparedness for catastrophe risks. It addresses the traditional aspects of disaster risk management, but goes further to focus on the measures of financial protection required to secure post-disaster resources and strengthen budgetary discipline. Written in an accessible and comprehensible manner, the book will appeal to a wide audience, but is of special interest to policy-makers, public officials, insurance managers and students eager to learn more about disaster risk management in one of the most exposed regions in the world.

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.

The inside story of what really happened at Lehman Brothers and why it failed

In The Devil's Casino: Friendship, Betrayal, and the High Stakes Games Played Inside Lehman Brothers, investigative writer and Vanity Fair contributing editor Vicky Ward takes readers inside Lehman's highly charged offices. What Ward uncovers is a much bigger story than Lehman losing at the risky game of collateralized debt obligations, swaps, and leverage.

A can't put it down page turner that opens the world of Wall Street to view unlike any book since Bonfire of the Vanities, except that The Devil's Casino isn't fiction.Details what went on behind-the-scenes the weekend Lehman Brothers failed, as well as inside Lehman during the twenty years preceding itDescribes the feudal culture that proved both Lehman's strength and its Achilles' heelWritten by Vicky Ward, one of today's most connected business and finance writers

On Wall Street, Lehman Brothers was cheekily known as "the cat with nine lives." But as The Devil's Casino documents, this cat pushed its luck too far and died?the victim of men and women blinded by arrogance.

Trust is the fundamental facilitator between actors in society, yet the past decade has seen the public openly question through demonstrations and elections whether business and political institutions deserve the trust society has placed in them-or whether the common person has been abandoned in favour of organisations and systems that are 'too big to fail'. The tenth anniversary of the crisis that shook financial markets in the early years of this century provides a chance to reflect on institutions' efforts to regain the trust lost in that debacle. It is particularly instructive to examine the steps that financial and governmental institutions have taken in one of the hardest-hit economies, Iceland. Those who witnessed the crisis and its aftermath know the wrenching effects it had on society, underscored by scepticism toward political and economic institutions. As the crisis spread almost worldwide, so too did the public's disenchantment. Since Iceland was one of the first societies affected, it has had the most time to work on and chart its recovery. This collection addresses the broad theme of how institutions in the small, close-knit Icelandic society have gone about trying to recapture other institutions' and the public's trust. Insights from these studies expand our understanding of how institutions try to rebuild their relationships with communities in the face of political and economic change in fractured Western societies.

"I would sleep better if I knew that Bernanke, Geithner, Bachus, Sen. Tim Johnson, Obama and Romney all kept dog-eared copies of Kevin Mellyn's Broken Markets on their nightstands. . . . Mellyn's work is a fascinating, important, and eminently good read and should inform the debate on overhauling the U.S. and global financial regulatory systems and sustainable macro fiscal and monetary policy." --Eric Grover, in his review of Broken Markets in The American Banker Broken Markets allows the intelligent non-specialist to understand and navigate the ongoing worldwide aftermath of the 2008 financial market meltdown. The key theme of the book is how the leading financial institutions and the political leadership of the U.S. and European Union have failed us and set the stage for continued market turmoil. It explainswhat this means for investors, borrowers, society in general, and the financial-services industry. Former banker Kevin Mellyn focuses on providing readers with clear and simple explanations of the forces at work and the potential consequences for their future prosperity. As this book makes clear, what's coming is a world in which high structural unemployment and flat or declining real income is likelynot to mention a diminished retirement financial safety net. The book therefore provides actionable information for protecting wealth and making prudent investment decisions in an economy that is nothing like the one that has sustained us for decades. As a forward-looking narrative about rapidly changing events and volatile markets and politics, Broken Marketswill provide no single prediction about the future but rather describe alternative scenarios and provide the reader with signposts to watch out for in deciding which reality is actually unfolding. Unlike most books written by journalists on global finance, the scenarios and signposts described will be largely based on the lessons of financial and political history rather than breaking news. This book: Tells you in plain language how today's financial system threatens your livelihood and wealth Tells you why and how governments worldwide, with some notable exceptions, are taking actions likely to make things worse instead of better Explains how the leading financial institutions lost their way during the bubble years and how they can find the path back to prosperity and value to society Tells you what life will be like in a post-finance economy and how you can protect your wealth What you'll learn

After reading Broken Markets, you will: Understand how governments and financial leaders made poor decisions and the consequences in both the short and long term Connect the dots between seemingly unconnected market developments Understand how global finance really influences your livelihood Evaluate professional investment advice critically Make an independent, informed evaluation of competing economic and political policies Develop a long-term financial game plan for a post-finance world Impress your friends and family with your financial savvy Who this book is for

Broken Markets is forpeople who have savings and investments, watch the business news, read the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times at least occasionally, and just want to make sense of the post-2008 crisis world while taking steps to protect their hard-won wealth. It is not intended for financial professionals, though it will strike a chord there. Mostly it is for the sensible, educated man and woman looking for straight talk and clarity. It is also a good choice for students and young people just starting their careers since it teaches them things their teachers (and often their employers) never told them. Above all, it is a good choice for anyone who likes to be informed, provoked into re-examining beliefs and assumptions, and entertained by sharp-edged writing. Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: The Rise and Fall of the Finance-Driven Economy Chapter 2: Banking, Regulation, and Financial Crises Chapter 3: Economic Consequences ofRegulation Chapter 4: Life after Finance Chapter 5: Global Whirlwinds Chapter 6: The Consumer in the World After Finance Chapter 7: The Reconstruction of Finance

'A compelling guide for leaders grappling with the pandemic' Financial Times 'A remarkable book telling business leaders what to do when disaster strikes' The Times AN INSPIRING STORY OF RESILIENT LEADERSHIP IN THE TOUGHEST OF TIMES Louai Al Roumani was head of finance and planning at one of the largest banks in Syria, when the war broke out in 2011. In Lessons from a Warzone, Al Roumani shares his very personal account of coping with the day-to-day realities of leading an organization in dangerous and hostile conditions. His story shows how inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places - from the timeless wisdom of merchants in ancient souks to the changing patterns of military checkpoints. During that time, not only did the bank remain robust when others faltered - it thrived and became the undisputed leading bank as people's trust in its capability to safeguard their life-long savings strengthened. In this book, Al Roumani distils the knowledge and skills he and his colleagues developed while steering the bank through four impossible years into ten lessons applicable to any leader facing a crisis today. His valuable, and often counterintuitive, advice - ranging from resisting over-planning to hacking your own IT department to cutting costs (but not morale) - will help anyone understand how to be resilient even in the most challenging of times.

This edited collection critically engages with a range of contemporary issues in the aftermath of the North Atlantic financial crisis that began in 2007. From challenging the erosion of academic authority to the myth that parliamentary democracy is not worth engaging with, it addresses three interrelated questions facing young people today: how to reclaim our universities, how to revitalise our democracy and how to recast politics in the 21st century. This book emphasises the crucial importance of generational experience as a wellspring for progressive social change. For it is the young generations who have come of age in a world marred by crises that are at the forefront of challenging the status quo. With insight into new social movements and protests in the UK, Canada, Greece and Ukraine, this stimulating collection of works will be invaluable for those teaching, studying and campaigning for alternatives. It will also be of relevance to scholars in social movement studies, the sociology and anthropology of economic life, the sociology of education, social and political theory, and political sociology.

This Palgrave Pivot uses Marxian economic categories and analysis to explore the deeper causes of the 2008 global economic crisis, what the crisis represents for capitalism, and why fiscal and monetary policies pursued in its wake have failed to rejuvenate economies. With an innovative interpretation of the crisis and a focus on 'toxic capital' - a sub-division of Karl Marx's concept of fictitious capital - Tombazos examines the specificities of economic reproduction under neoliberalism and financialisation.

This book addresses the question of the extent of and responses to inequalities in the UK in 2017 in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession. Inequality is the issue that won't go away, a real world issue affecting all facets of society with political and economic developments such as austerity measures, Brexit and changes in political leadership impacting the inequality landscape. Six of the chapters examine the extent of economic inequalities and poverty using quantitative and qualitative methods that help map regional differences, compare the UK with the rest of the EU and go beyond the traditional measures and concepts. Seven chapters explore how inequalities have evolved since 2008 and have been tackled by policy makers in five policy areas (health, housing, education, gender and immigration) taking into account the new legislative framework and in one party (labour). Finally, six others address the issue of the governance of inequality by looking at how inequality features in the political agenda of the devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales as well as at a local level in Ipswich and London. Based on recent surveys and current academic thinking, this book provides an up-to-date account of the extent and distribution of inequalities in the UK, of the evolving ways in which inequalities are measured and addressed as well as the changing perception of inequalities by the general public and policy-makers.

The world economy is currently in the throes of a global economic crisis reminiscent of the great depressions of the 1930s and the 1870s. As back then, the crisis has exposed the major structural imbalances in financial and credit markets in addition to global trade forcing many governments, developed and developing, to impose debilitating austerity measures that are exacerbating the structural weaknesses that caused the crisis in the first place.

This volume offers historical insights into the origins of the contemporary crisis as well as detailed analyses of the financial and trade dimensions, an assessment of the technological and innovation context along with perspectives on the implications for unemployment and gender imbalances.

The global financial crisis and its aftermath saw boom-bust cycles in cross-border capital flows of astounding magnitude. Issues of capital account liberalization and the imposition of capital controls are back in the headlines, and on researchers' agendas. This comprehensive and timely research review covers many of the themes central to the issue of capital account liberalization, and provides a balanced assessment of the role that capital controls might play in the effective management of capital flows to reap their benefits.

How do economists reconcile their expertise with their failures to predict and manage the 2008 financial crisis? This book goes a long way toward an answer by using systems theory to reveal the complex interdependence of factors and forces behind the crisis. In her fully integrated view of the economy, how it works, and how the economic crisis burst, Karen Higgins combines human psychology, cultural values, and belief formation with descriptions of the ways banks and markets succeed and fail. In each chapter she introduces themes from financial crisis literature and brings a systems-theory treatment of them. Her methodology and visual presentations both develop the tools of systems theory and apply these tools to the financial crisis. Not just another volume about the crisis, this book challenges the status quo through its unique multidisciplinary approach.
Presents a broad global view of international economic health and international corporate healthDescribes how policies, regulations, and trends dating to the 1950s influenced the crisisAssumes readers possess a general familiarity of economics and finance