FinTech is an emerging field and most of the existing literature appears in the form of industry reports, consulting reports, working papers, and policy recommendations. Although FinTech has been widely discussed for many years, there is a paucity of literature on some categorizations of FinTech. This edited volume distinguishes itself by focusing on academic works of scholars with a different area of specialization in the FinTech field including technology, innovation and regulation. In particular, the book focuses on the laws and technologies necessary to comprehend the role of the legal system in technological innovations and will be helpful for regulatory policymaking. A practical compendium that explains concepts and follows through on applications in FinTech including its challenges and evolving nature, this book will be of interest to students, scholars, practitioners as well as regulators and policy makers.

Why does the City of London, despite an apparent commitment to recruitment and progression based on objective merit within its hiring practices, continue to reproduce the status quo? Written by a leading expert on diversity and elite professions, this book examines issues of equality in the City, what its practitioners say in public and what they think behind closed doors. Drawing on research, interviews, practitioner literature and internal reports, it argues that hiring practices in the City are highly discriminating in favour of a narrow pool of affluent applicants, and future progress may only be achieved by the state taking a greater role in organizational life. It calls for a policy shift at both the organizational and governmental level to address the implications of widening inequality in the UK.

The advice is sound; the client seems eager; and then... nothing happens! Too often, this is the experience that financial professionals encounter in their daily work. When good recommendations go unimplemented, clients' well-being is compromised, opportunities are lost, and the professional relationship grows strained. Advice that Sticks takes aim at the problem of financial non-adherence. Written by a neuropsychologist and financial change expert, this book examines the five main factors that determine whether a client will follow through with financial advice. Individual client psychology plays a role in non-adherence; so, too, do sociocultural and environmental factors, general advice characteristics, and specific challenges pertaining to the emotionally loaded domain of money. Perhaps most surprising, however, is the extent to which advice-givers themselves can foil implementation. A great deal of non-adherence is due to preventable mistakes made by financial professionals and their teams. The author integrates her extensive clinical and consulting experience with research findings from the fields of positive psychology, behavioural economics, neuroscience, and medicine. What emerges is a thoughtful, funny, but above all practical guide for anyone who makes a living providing financial advice. It will become an indispensable handbook for people working with clients across the wealth spectrum.

This book provides systematic comparative research of antifraud laws and context at EU countries using a Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to predict illegal activities in ERDF and CF. It also details a map of corruption risk with the goal of reducing corruption and fraud in the management of European Regional Development Funds and Cohesion Funds through the incorporation of adequate measures and strategies derived from the resulting of EUMODFRAUD EU Project. The authors analyse the specific situations, observe the risks and finally, propose an innovative method that allows predicting fraudulent acts, which will be of interest to both academics, researchers, and policy makers in financial services, public finance, and financial crime.

Banks are frequently considered usurers. Is it possible to talk about ethics when you analyse banking activity? This book focuses on this question and starts with the history and the philosophy. Philosophers like Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill proposed different theories about the need for ethics in finance. If we accept Mill's thought, the production of wealth in society is driven by the personal pursuit of profit. But - unfortunately - this does not, on its own, ensure collective well-being. It must be guided by a superior mechanism which transforms it into wealth for all. This introduces the role of financial institutions, which often have to comply with legal obligations. The book focuses on the role that these institutions have in supporting the 'ethical' use of money. The author analyses a number of cases in banks and the financial industry and discusses topics like anti-money laundering, anti-usury, islamic finance, microcredit and bank rescue systems, including not only best practices but also examples of unethical financial management.

This book addresses contemporary and modern topics around business growth and economic development in Southeastern Europe. It covers a wide range of business issues focusing on the adoption of new technologies, finance of SMEs, place marketing, value co-creation, contribution to economic growth, and internationalization. Moverover, it sheds new light on the micro- and macroeconomic developments and monetary policy issues in the Eastern European and Balkan countries. This book is a useful tool for scholars in economics and finance interested in the further economic development of the Balkans and Eastern European countries as well as to professionals in the business, financial and insurance sectors.

The public relations profession positions itself as expert in building trust throughout global markets, particularly after crisis strikes. Successive crises have tainted financial markets in recent years. Calls to restore trust in finance have been particularly pressing, given trust's crucial role as lubricant in global financial engines. Nonetheless, years after the global financial crisis, trust in financial markets remains both tenuous and controversial. This book explores PR in financial markets, posing a fundamental question about PR professionals as would-be 'trust strategists'. If PR promotes its expertise in building and restoring trust, how can it ignore its potential role in losing trust in the first place? Drawing on examples from state finance, international lending agencies, trade bodies, financial institutions and consumer groups in mature and emerging financial centres, this book explores the wide-ranging role of PR in financial markets, including: State finance and debt capital markets Investor relations, M&A and IPOs Corporate communications for financial institutions Product promotion and consumer finance Financial trade associations and lobbying Consumerism and financial activism. Far reaching and challenging, this innovative book will be essential reading for researchers, advanced students and professionals in PR, communication and finance.

Bill Gates' quote, "Banking is necessary, but banks are not," showcases the opportunity for financial services digital transformation. The next transition from industry 4.0 to 5.0 will impact all sectors, including banking. It will combine information technology and automation, based on artificial intelligence, person-robot collaboration, and sustainability. It is time to analyze this transformation in banking deeply, so that the sector can adequately change to the 'New Normal' and a wholly modified banking model can be properly embedded in the business. This book presents a conceptual model of banking 5.0, detailing its implementation in processes, platforms, people, and partnerships of financial services organizations companies. The last part of the book is then dedicated to future developments. Of interest to academics, researchers, and professionals in banking, financial technology, and financial services, this book also includes business cases in financial services.

This book provides an overview of the historical financial reforms and regulatory changes in China, highlighting the background to and causes of changes in the income structure of China's banks. It also investigates ongoing concerns with regard to banking diversification in China, and its consequences, amid the global trend of banks' shift to non-traditional businesses. Focusing on three critical aspects of bank-income diversification, namely the effects on profitability, risk level, and efficiency, it employs the concept of systemically important banks, which describes the scale and degree of influence a bank has in global and domestic financial markets. More importantly, rather than replicating techniques employed in the research on developed markets, it applies several improved methodologies to address bank diversification in the specific context created by China's unique institutional background and data characteristics, such as GMM-type threshold models and stochastic frontier analysis with the within maximum likelihood estimation. Shedding new light on the current status of income diversification in the Chinese banking sector, this book is a valuable resource for readers in fields such as banking and financial stability. It will also help banking professionals and financial regulatory authorities to better understand the reform of China's financial industry and the future direction of banking.

The cooperation and contamination between mathematicians, statisticians and econometricians working in actuarial sciences and finance is improving the research on these topics and producing numerous meaningful scientific results. This volume presents new ideas, in the form of four- to six-page papers, presented at the International Conference eMAF2020 - Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Actuarial Sciences and Finance. Due to the now sadly famous COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held remotely through the Zoom platform offered by the Department of Economics of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice on September 18, 22 and 25, 2020. eMAF2020 is the ninth edition of an international biennial series of scientific meetings, started in 2004 at the initiative of the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Salerno. The effectiveness of this idea has been proven by wide participation in all editions, which have been held in Salerno (2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014), Venice (2008, 2012 and 2020), Paris (2016) and Madrid (2018). This book covers a wide variety of subjects: artificial intelligence and machine learning in finance and insurance, behavioral finance, credit risk methods and models, dynamic optimization in finance, financial data analytics, forecasting dynamics of actuarial and financial phenomena, foreign exchange markets, insurance models, interest rate models, longevity risk, models and methods for financial time series analysis, multivariate techniques for financial markets analysis, pension systems, portfolio selection and management, real-world finance, risk analysis and management, trading systems, and others. This volume is a valuable resource for academics, PhD students, practitioners, professionals and researchers. Moreover, it is also of interest to other readers with quantitative background knowledge.

This book is the first of its kind to provide a critical overview and theoretical analysis of the Circular Economy from Shariah and Islamic Finance perspectives. The book is divided into three parts. The contributing authors pay close attention to Islamic Finance in light of sustainability and value creation. It also includes case studies on the Circular Economy application in Islamic Finance industry. The book is of interest to academics, students, and practitioners on Islamic Economics and Finance who have an interest in understanding the Circular Economy under the lens of Islamic Finance principles and applications.

This second edition updates and extends the original foundations of the loanable funds model. It develops a new monetary model of inside money, which is created by the commercial (or retail) banks, drawing on the events of 2007/08 that led to the Great Recession and fragile economy of today. Coronavirus is likely to cause another downturn of economic activity, from the perspective of late 2020 as this is written. That will represent a long-period of subpar, anaemic growth, which has not been satisfactorily explained by the traditional theory in the form of neo-classical analysis. The reason may lie with the adoption of a body of theory based primarily on a barter system of exchange but sometimes with one commodity used as money to try to explain a dynamic, monetary economy of today. Money has evolved from a system of barter to become a medium of exchange based on fiat money and credit currency underpinned by legal tender, and therefore, a creature of law. If households and firms lose confidence in the banking system, they can withdraw their deposits in the form of cash as a medium of exchange, which must be accepted in exchange for goods and services as legal tender. This book highlights the importance of how money is created or destroyed endogenously and derives the loanable supply of funds in conjunction with the demand within a revised analysis of monetary theory, with a new emphasis on portfolio theory. It applies critical thinking and the realization of a more precise formulation of the loanable funds theory to final year and postgraduate students in particular, with various features systematically added such as the catastrophe framework and Minsky's theory of changing states in an attempt to derive a fully dynamic model. There is a new framework using aggregate demand and supply analysis to explain inflation. This will be reinforced at each stage by the inclusion of revised and updated case studies, graphs and figures to give an international setting and application

This research review selects fifty influential articles published over the past four decades on the regulation and governance of financial institutions. Some contribute by making theoretical advances that enhance the conceptual framework through which economists view financial institutions, and others contribute by assembling data and evaluating the predictions of these different models. The papers provide a foundation for understanding and conducting additional research into the regulation and governance of financial institutions.

Are recent bank and financial scandals the work of a few `bad apples' or an inevitable result of a financial system rotten to its core? In Barometer of Fear Alexis Stenfors guides us through the shadowy world of modern banking, providing an insider's account of the secret practices - including the manipulation of foreign exchange rates - which have allowed banks to profit from systematic deception. Containing remarkable and often shocking insights derived from his own experiences in the dealing room, as well as his spectacular fall from grace at Merrill Lynch, Barometer of Fear draws back the curtain on a realm that for too long has remained hidden from public view.

The notion of sustainable development is applied to financial activities through sustainable finance. As a result, sustainable finance attempts to produce long-term value by allocating capital to projects that, in addition to providing economic benefits, are furthermore beneficial to society and do not burden the environment.This book sheds light on contemporary challenges in sustainable finance, addressing two key perspectives: measurement and performance, and products and business models. In particular, the volume examines theoretically and empirically the relations between business models and non-financial impact, both environmental and social; as for the social goals, a special focus of the book is dedicated to the gender gap.

This book develops insights of digitalization and the future of financial services to originate an innovative approach to financial field, in order to underpin research and practice in the wide area of digital finance. The aim of this book is to extend our understandings on how digitalization and the future of financial services can be helpful in different business circumstances in many cross-functional financial areas, such as financial markets, financial risk management, financial technologies, investment finance, etc. Thus, the book aims at addressing the relevance of digital finance for different players, highlighting differences in tools and processes as well as identifying innovative practices in financial digitalization. This can result in some novel theoretical and practical insights that can foster financial players, in order to proactively explore and exploit opportunities in financial digitalization and offset financial risks and increase efficiency.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Private Equity (PE) financing in the infrastructure and real estate sectors. In doing so, it analyzes the impact of such investments in the two sectors, evaluates the types of financing strategies, and explores the value created by such investments.  Infrastructure and Real Estate have emerged as a significant asset class for PE investors. In the last three decades, PE firms have invested significant amounts of capital in infrastructure and real estate – sectors which did not feature in their radar before 2000. Between 2000 and 2009, PE firms invested more than USD 200 billion in infrastructure. Real estate sector also witnessed investments of a similar scale as that of infrastructure. Fundraising for infrastructure and real estate was about USD 100 billion and USD 150 billion respectively in 2019, setting new records and reaching all-time highs.  This book examines such PE investments – both at a global level and at an emerging economy level, to identify how PE firms have created an impact with their investments, to provide both ready capital and value-addition to sectors which seem to urgently need both.  The book is divided into three sections – impact of PE investments, strategies used by PE firms, and value created by such investments. The findings of this research and the corresponding best practices are useful and applicable to students, academicians, researchers, financial institutions, policy makers and law makers, commercial banks and funding agencies, practitioners, the Government, and other parties who are directly or indirectly associated with the development of infrastructure and real estate; and could aid funding agencies, practitioners and policy makers who are directly responsible for creating and developing infrastructure and real estate for their economies.

The growth of Islamic finance today is undeniable given its services, product innovation, performance and achievements, with the Islamic insurance market being no exception; it has retained global market recognition in a parallel platform as Islamic finance moves forward. There is much written regarding the Islamic insurance system, but rarely do researchers present the various Islamic insurance products and their structures in one collective place. This book is a timely addition in meeting contemporary market demands by providing a much-needed overview of the Islamic insurance products and their Shari'ah compliant structures. This book would be of interest to academics, researchers, students and professionals who are seeking to understand the products offered.

This book provides an evaluation of the industrial organization of banking with a focus on the interrelationship among bank behavior, market structure, and regulation. It addresses a wide range of public policy topics, including bank competition and risk, international banking, antitrust issues, and capital regulation. New to this edition, which has been updated throughout, is a broadened consideration of alternative theories of competition among banks, which includes discussions of such issues as the implications of large increases in bank reserve holdings in recent years, effects of nonprice competition through quality rivalry, analysis of mixed market structures involving both large and small banks, and international interactions of banks and policymakers. The intent of the book is to serve as a learning tool and reference for graduate students, academics, bankers, and policymakers seeking to better understand the industrial organization of the banking sector and the effects of banking regulations.

Security Over Receivables: An International Handbook is a practical guide to the key issues involved in taking security over receivables in 39 jurisdictions. Adopting a jurisdiction by jurisdiction structure, each chapter examines the key matters to consider when taking security over debts in a particular region.
Each analysis is followed by a case study, to exemplify and elucidate the central principles which arise in practice. A comparative table is also included to outline and illustrate the distinguishing aspects of taking security over debts in each country. The chapter from UNCITRAL gives a useful explanation of the position from an international law perspective. This work is a valuable preliminary reference point for practitioners advising on finance transactions, which involve security over receivables in a foreign jurisdiction.

Jurisdictions covered include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New York, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

With contributions from well-respected lawyers from leading international firms in each jurisdiction, this book provides practitioners worldwide with considerable assistance when dealing with cross-border transactions in a number of different jurisdictions.

This book offers the first original study on banking crises management in Italy from 2014 to 2020 with a comprehensive overview of the resolution tools used. In Italy, the issue of banking crises is now the focus of attention, not only as a result of the cycle of crises that occurred in the years 2014-2020 but also because of the banking reform carried out in Europe with the directives on bank recovery and resolution and the implementation of the Single Resolution Mechanism and the Single Resolution Fund within the framework of the Banking Union. The Italian banking crises have been managed by applying the new European regulatory framework; in this sense they constitute a significant test to assess its effectiveness and coherence. This book, divided into two parts, makes an initial assessment of the crisis situations and the application of the new rules, and offers an initial evaluation of their functioning. In the first part, an in-depth examination is made of the various cases of crisis, following a methodology of classification by type of solution and instruments adopted. The second part is dedicated to lessons learned and open issues. In detail, the most sensitive issues of the current debate are addressed, relating to the improvement of the institutional set-up and the rules for crisis management, the harmonization of insolvency rules in Europe, the funding of resolution, public intervention and, finally, the role of deposit guarantee systems. An articulated and complex picture emerges with various areas for improvement and policy indications, offering a framework that will be of interest to scholars, researchers, professors, students and practitioners of banking and banking regulation.

This book outlines the financial services regulatory framework in 16 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Contributors from leading commercial law firms across the region provide a clear explanation of the relevant regulatory bodies and their powers, with consideration of the effects of each jurisdiction's national legislation.
This title is supported by two companion volumes covering Europe and the Middle East. The series describes the principle regulatory authorities that oversee the banking, insurance and securities activities within each country. A highly practical Questions and Answers section highlights the key issues of practical importance: What enforcement powers do the relevant authorities in each country have? What scope is there for foreign entities to conduct banking, insurance, securities activities and fund marketing activities in or into each country? What is the authorization and registration process in each jurisdiction? Supporting commentary examines the nature and scope of the current regulation and prospective market developments.
The complete three volume series covers over 60 countries and is an essential reference point for those needing a practical insight into international financial services regulation and the regimes operating within jurisdictions other than their own.

This book provides a critical assessment of the development of the Stewardship Code 2020, which sets out principles regarding the role of institutional investors in corporate governance. It discusses how the regulatory framework for stewardship evolved before and after the financial crisis, and how that evolution resulted in the 2020 Code. It then critiques the Code from a practical and academic perspective, as well as evaluating the wider regulatory framework; in particular, the position of the FRC (ARGA). The book concludes by offering insight into different pathways that the evolution of stewardship may continue to take. Stewardship Codes modelled on the U.K.'s original 2010 version have been introduced in numerous markets and as such the book will be relevant for an international audience of academics, regulators and policymakers in financial regulation, investment regulation and financial services.