The 2008 credit crisis started with the failure of one large bank: Lehman Brothers. Since then the focus of both politicians and regulators has been on stabilising the economy and preventing future financial instability. At this juncture, we are at the last stage of future-proofing the financial sector by raising capital requirements and tightening financial regulation. Now the policy agenda needs to concentrate on transforming the banking sector into an engine for growth. Reviving competition in the banking sector after the state interventions of the past years is a key step in this process. This book introduces and explains a relatively new concept in competition measurement: the performance-conduct-structure (PCS) indicator. The key idea behind this measure is that a firm's efficiency is more highly rewarded in terms of market share and profit, the stronger competitive pressure is. The book begins by explaining the financial market's fundamental obstacles to competition presenting a brief survey of the complex relationship between financial stability and competition. The theoretical contributions of Hay and Liu and Boone provide the theoretical underpinning for the PCS indicator, while its application to banking and insurance illustrates its empirical qualities. Finally, this book presents a systematic comparison between the results of this approach and (all) existing methods as applied to 46 countries, over the same sample period. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the knowns and unknowns of financial sector competition for commercial and central bankers, policy-makers, supervisors and academics alike.

Across the European Union, common problems and challenges have arisen related to the accessibility, quality, and financial sustainability of long-term healthcare services, which represent a new social and medical risk. This book compares national policies in Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands and how these countries approach issues such as old-age insurance, home-help programs,and mental healthcare. The contributors look at different paths of policy development, identify problems faced by public and private parties, and ultimately discuss possible solutions.

Financial markets have become acknowledged as a source of crisis, and discussion of them has shifted from economics - through legal and regulatory studies - to politics. Events from 2008 onwards raise important, cross-disciplinary questions: must financial markets drive states into political and existential crisis, must public finances take over private losses, must citizens endure austerity? This book argues that there is an alternative. If the financial system were less 'connected', clearly contagion within the market would be reduced, and crises would become more localised and intermittent, less global and pervasive. The question then becomes how to reduce connectedness within financial markets. This book argues that the democratic direction of financial market policies can deliver this. Politicising financial market policies - taking discussion of these issues out of the sphere of the 'technical' and putting it into the same democratically contested space as, for example, health and welfare policies - would encourage differing policies to emerge in different countries.Diversity of regulatory regimes would result in some business models being attracted to some jurisdictions, others to others. The resulting heterogeneity, when viewed from a global perspective, would be a reversal of recent and current tendencies towards one single/global 'level playing field', within which all financial firms and sectors have become closely connected and across which contagion inevitably reigns. No doubt, the democratisation of financial market policy would be opposed by many big firms - their interests being served by regulatory convergence - and considered macabre by globetrotting financial regulators and central bankers - who are coalescing into an elite community. However, everyone else, Nicholas Dorn argues here, would be better off in a financial world characterised by greater diversity.

This edited volume brings together finance industry perspectives from top global institutions, which focus on the bottom line for integrating ESG factors into the operations of the finance industry. Executives and senior practitioners answer the question: 'does following sustainable finance principles make commercial sense for a commercially-oriented financial institution, and if so, what evidence is there?' '

The emergence of an accountancy profession in Scotland is described in the context of three leading Chartered Accountants, whose careers spanned the second half of the nineteenth century and early part of the twentieth century: George Auldjo Jamieson (21828-1900), Alexander Sloan (1843-1927) and Richard Brown (1856-1918). Each biography reveals the man involved in the professionalisation events, and is described within a broader personal context associated with Victorian Scotland.

NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE FT AND MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019 'Reads more like a delicious page-turning novel...Put it on your holiday gift list for your favourite hedge-fund honcho' Bloomberg 'A compelling read' Economist 'Captivating' New York Times book review Jim Simons is the greatest moneymaker in modern financial history. His record bests those of legendary investors, including Warren Buffett, George Soros and Ray Dalio. Yet Simons and his strategies are shrouded in mystery. The financial industry has long craved a look inside Simons's secretive hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies and veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman delivers the goods. After a legendary career as a mathematician and a stint breaking Soviet codes, Simons set out to conquer financial markets with a radical approach. Simons hired physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists - most of whom knew little about finance - to amass piles of data and build algorithms hunting for the deeply hidden patterns in global markets. Experts scoffed, but Simons and his colleagues became some of the richest in the world, their strategy of creating mathematical models and crunching data embraced by almost every industry today. As Renaissance became a major player in the financial world, its executives began exerting influence on other areas. Simons became a major force in scientific research, education and Democratic politics, funding Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign. While senior executive Robert Mercer is more responsible than anyone else for the Trump presidency - he placed Steve Bannon in the campaign, funded Trump's victorious 2016 effort and backed alt-right publication Breitbart. Mercer also impacted the success of the Brexit campaign as he made significant investments in Cambridge Anatlytica. For all his prescience, Simons failed to anticipate how Mercer's activity would impact his firm and the world. In this fast-paced narrative, Zuckerman examines how Simons launched a quantitative revolution on Wall Street, and reveals the impact that Simons, the quiet billionaire king of the quants, has had on worlds well beyond finance.

This book examines the nature of retail financial transaction infrastructures. Contributions assume a long-term outlook in their exploration of the key financial processes and systems that support a global transition to a cashless economy. The volume offers both modern and historic accounts that demonstrate the constantly changing role of payment instruments. It brings together different theoretical approaches to the study, re-examining and forecasting changes in retail payment systems. Chapters explore a global transition to a cashless society and contemplate future alternatives to cash, cheques and plastic, featuring the perspectives of academics from different disciplines in conversation and industry participants from six continents. Readers are invited to discover the innovation in payment systems and how it co-evolves with changes in society and organisations through personal, corporate and governmental processes.

The Lived Experience of Work and City Rhythms looks at the working environment, with a focus on the geographical workplace and how this affects the experience of our working lives. It raises key questions such as: Does where we work affect our experience of work? What is the relationship between place and work? What is it like to work in a place dominated by a particular industry or sector? The book draws on empirical research carried out in the City of London - the heart of the UK's financial services sector. The 'Square Mile', as it is also known, is widely perceived to be a distinctive place because of its architecture, history, traditions, and culture. Exploring how the City is experienced as a workplace, this book also presents a method of researching such places through an attention to, and analysis of, their spatial and temporal rhythms. By illuminating how we experience the places where we work, this book explores what makes us feel that we fit in - or don't fit in - to certain places, how a sense of place endures, and how the relationship between people, place, and work can be researched.

Financial services firms play a key role in the European economy. The efficiency and profitability of these firms and the competition among them have an impact on allocation of savings, financing of investment, economic growth, the stability of the financial system and the transmission of monetary policy.

This collection of research contributions includes evaluations of trends in the European financial service industry and examinations of the driving forces of efficiency, competition and profitability of financial firms and institutions in Europe. The papers have been written by leading academics and researchers in the field, who specialize in strategic, systematic and policy issues related to the European financial services industry.

This edited collection will be will be essential reading for students and academics but will also be of interest to financial practitioners and government officials interested in acquiring a deeper understanding of this complex issue.

Go inside the elite investment firm with Capital.

The Capital Group is one of the world's largest investment management organizations, but little is known about it because the company has shunned any type of publicity. This compelling book, for the first time, takes you inside one of the most elite and private investment firms out there?the Capital Group Companies?a value investment firm par excellence. It digs deeps to reveal the corporate culture and long-term investment strategies that have made Capital the one organization where most investment professionals would like to work and would most recommend as long-term investment managers for their family and friends.

Financial Behavior: Players, Services, Products, and Markets provides a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature on the financial behavior of major stakeholders, financial services, investment products, and financial markets. The book offers a different way of looking at financial and emotional well-being and processing beliefs, emotions, and behaviors related to money. The book provides important insights about cognitive and emotional biases that influence various financial decision-makers, services, products, and markets. With diverse concepts and topics, the book brings together noted scholars and practitioners so readers can gain an in-depth understanding about this topic from experts from around the world. In today's financial setting, the discipline of behavioral finance is an ever-changing area that continues to evolve at a rapid pace. This book takes readers through the core topics and issues as well as the latest trends, cutting-edge research developments, and real-world situations. Additionally, discussion of research on various cognitive and emotional issues is covered throughout the book. Thus, this volume covers a breadth of content from theoretical to practical, while attempting to offer a useful balance of detailed and user-friendly coverage. Those interested in a broad survey will benefit as will those searching for more in-depth presentations of specific areas within this field of study. As the seventh book in the Financial Markets and Investment Series, Financial Behavior: Players, Services, Products, and Markets offers a fresh looks at the fascinating area of financial behavior.

A guide, for financial institutions, to constraints on securities underwriting, brokerage activities, and trading and investments. It provides background and interprets bank securities laws covering underwriting, trading; mutual funds; and derivative products and overseas securities activities.

As technology continues to revolutionise today's economy, Big Data, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency are rapidly transforming themselves into mainstream functions within the financial services industry. This book examines each concept individually, analysing the opportunities and challenges they bring and exploring the potential for future development. The authors further evaluate the fusion of these three important products of the FinTech revolution, illustrating their combined influence on the digital economy. Providing a comprehensive analysis of three innovative technologies, this timely book will appeal to scholars researching innovation in the finance industry and financial services technology more specifically.

Soon to be a major film starring Will Smith, this is the inspiring rags-to-riches story of the charismatic Chris Gardner, a once homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco and then went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street. No sooner had Gardner landed an entry level position at a prestigious finance firm that he found himself faced with challenging circumstances that left him homeless with his toddler son. Instead of giving in to despair, he toiled until he made the astonishing transformation back to the boardroom.

Malta is the only country in the European Union, and one of only six countries in the world, that has not had a banking crisis since the 1970s. Despite its lack of raw materials, Malta currently has one of the lowest rates of unemployment and inflation in the EU, as well as a positive GDP. Yet there are only a few studies on the development of the industry that contributes most to its economy, the financial services industry. Drawing upon empirical findings, archival research, and interviews, Zammit, Spiteri, and Grima fill a major gap in the literature by delivering a study of the development of the Maltese insurance industry. The authors collect literature and insights from prominent figureheads in order to outline the history of this major sector of the Maltese economy, tracing its roots back to the earliest inhabitants of the island, through to the expansion of its maritime trade, and working right up to the present with the emergence of more complex and sophisticated insurance services and products. The success of Malta's specific risk-management practices, generally characterized by risk-avoidance and prudence, is shown to have implications beyond Maltese financial policy and regulatory development: it offers concrete guidance from a small-scale "laboratory" for the complex policy and development decisions of larger nations. This study is of interest to students and academics of insurance, risk management, and financial services, and it offers food for thought and guidance to practitioners and policy makers.

This book presents a wide range of tools and techniques used in entrepreneurial finance in emerging markets. Among them, venture capital is perhaps the best known, understood, and researched mode of entrepreneurial finance. However, a significant focus of the book is dedicated to other modes of entrepreneurial finance such as 'bootstrapping,' angel financing, bank financing, and other alternative means of financing, which could include government assistance programs, business incubation, technology parks, or family financing. In addition, the book highlights how new and innovative financial technologies (comprised of software, business processes, and other modern technologies), known under the term of FinTech, may support, enable, and enhance the provision of different modes of entrepreneurial finance in emerging markets. The book also discusses entrepreneurial finance in emerging markets in the context of women entrepreneurs. A comprehensive analysis of entrepreneurial finance in emerging market countries, this book will appeal to academics, researchers, and students of entrepreneurial finance, venture capital and private equity, entrepreneurship, and international business.

This book tells the story of Burma's financial system - of its banks, moneylenders and 'microfinanciers' - from colonial times to the present day. It argues that Burma's financial system matters, and that the careful study of this system can tell us something more general about Burma - not least about how the richest country in Southeast Asia at the dawn of the twentieth century, became the poorest at the dawn of the twenty-first. While financial systems and institutions matter in all countries, Turnell argues that they especially count in Burma as events in the financial and monetary sphere have been unusually, spectacularly, prominent in Burma's turbulent modern history. The story of Burma's financial system and its players is one that has shaped the country. It is a dramatic story of interest beyond the confines of economics and development studies.

PRAISE FOR Banking on Change "In this 140th Anniversary celebration book, The London Institute of Banking and Finance stick to their core function of educating us all, but especially aspirant bankers, on the role and concerns of (retail and commercial) banking in the UK. They have assembled a well-chosen group of practitioners from a range of professions to write clear and easily assimilable essays, no technical expertise required, on a wide variety of current banking issues. If you want to learn about the current practices and problems of UK retail banking, this book must be essential reading." --Charles Goodhart, emeritus professor of banking and finance at the London School of Economics "In this important book, a line from Bill Allen's contribution is key: 'Nobody can predict the ferocity of the gale of creative destruction' that faces the financial services sector. True; but if you read the many and varied contributions, you'll have a pretty good idea. Moreover, you'll understand how we (that is, bankers) got here - and what we should do to make the industry more competitive, fairer and more genuinely useful. It is a soup-to-nuts look at banking - from the early days of the Institute of Banking, through the go-go years of ifs, to a present and future that are likely to be dominated by technology. It is well-worth a long read." --Andrew Hilton, director, Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation "If you were to imagine what a book celebrating 140 years of financial knowledge might contain, you could not come up with a better selection than this. As well as a historic sweep - from no-tech to fintech, the decline of trust and the rise of competition - today's hot subjects are addressed, including sustainable investing, cultural diversity and digital identity. The cradle-to-grave nature of the industry is captured in pieces about financial education and pensions. And it's well written, setting the scene nicely for the next era." --Jane Fuller, Fellow of the Society of Investment Professionals Financial services are undergoing rapid, and potentially dramatic, change. What will happen in payments, in sustainable finance and in fintech? How can the industry boost financial inclusion and ensure that its workforce has the skills it needs to meet regulatory requirements and to compete with new entrants? Can trade finance rise to the challenge of underpinning global trade for all and help the developing world avoid "financial abandonment"? What do financial services need to do to protect our digital identities? Banking on Change provides insights by experts and influencers from across the financial services industry on these and other questions. Published to mark the 140th anniversary of The London Institute of Banking & Finance, this book is intended to be of lasting value to both students and professionals.

This book analyzes the whole path to justice: from the decision to enter the path to justice until justice is achieved and applies a mixed-methods approach using quantitative and qualitative data. It deliberately takes the consumer's perspective and, beyond the scope of existing studies, does not only take into account the existence of mechanisms and forums to claim justice, but their appropriateness for vulnerable target groups. The book sheds more light on microfinance and other vulnerable clients who, due to existing barriers, cannot access grievance, redress or complaint mechanisms. Eliminating these access barriers would cater to the achievement of the 16th Sustainable Development Goal by increasing vulnerable consumers' Access to Justice. This book will be of interest to academics researching access to justice, researchers focusing on consumer protection issues in developing countries, and practitioners working in financial inclusion.

Is an investors' "perfect storm" brewing? If you're not careful, it could sweep your wealth away. Long-dormant inflation looks to be catching fire. A stock market in overdrive may crash and burn for years. And taxes to fund deficits and social programs look to be rising to punishing levels not seen in a generation. This triple threat could mean a financial apocalypse from which many investors won't ever recover. Getting straight talk on smart wealth management has never been more critical. With Social Security and Medicare tracking to go belly-up in a few short years, there will be dire consequences for millions. Already-retired boomers, living far longer than ever expected, will strain government resources and risk running out of money. Who will pay for it all? Without smart planning, your taxes may rise to confiscatory levels, sapping net worth and lifestyle quality. Your retirement lifestyle and legacy for your kids could get crushed. Some may never be able to retire. Investors and savers of every age and stripe will want to pay careful attention to the concentrated wisdom in this book and take proactive steps to protect themselves while there's still time.

Investor Relations and ESG Reporting in a Regulatory Perspective is a comprehensive and detailed practical guide for financial market participants, focusing on the stock market, written for practitioners by practitioners. The main themes of the book include the challenging integration of investor relations (IR) and the non-financial reporting of environmental, social and governance (ESG). Further, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the complex regulatory framework of the European Union (EU) related to the financial markets, including the expected global trends in this area. This includes financial legislation such as MiFID II, MiFIR and MAR along with non-financial legislation like the EU's taxonomy, CSRD and SFDR. In addition, this book explores the non-financial reporting standards of GRI, TCFD, CDSB, IBC, SASB, IRRC and the upcoming ISSB, and discusses the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the book provides a practical guide regarding IR in special situations, e.g. in connection with takeover response manuals, M&A, investor activism, initial public offerings (IPOs), as well companies' collaboration with e.g. investment banks and corporate finance advisers, financial PR and IR advisers in such situations. The suggested audience of the book includes board members and senior management of in particular listed companies, and companies considering an IPO; professionals working in the fields of IR, ESG and communications; institutional and retail investors; private equity executives; venture capitalists; investment bankers; legal practitioners; accountants and auditors; financial journalists; and politicians. Finally, university and business students may benefit from an insight into the dynamics of the financial markets and the direction they are moving, a possible inspiration for choosing a future career.

Praise for Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices

"Michael Pompian's book Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices is noteworthy for its comprehensiveness. Michael combines 'the big picture' with detailed, prescriptive, and actionable strategies; advisers to wealthy families will receive a detailed understanding of how a quickly evolving landscape impacts their business and its implications for their clients."

-John Benevides, President, Family Office Exchange

"This book should be on the reading list of anyone who wants to be a full-fledged professional in our industry. Michael Pompian has wisely chosen to focus on practical descriptions and recommendations; in my view this is a great plus, as we need more educational resources in this field. Congratulations. The book is well worth reading."

-Jean L.P. Brunel, CFA, Managing Principal, Brunel Associates, LLC

"Ultra-affluent clients want information and advice integrated and in real time. So planning, investing, and measuring become a continuous process. This is very hard to do. Michael Pompian articulates a clear and insightful road map which outlines the process, components, and human factors needed to create a sustainable world-class wealth management program-both advisers and wealth owners would be wise to follow Michael's lead."

-Stephen Martiros, founder, Summitas (www.summitas.com) Managing Partner, CCC Alliance (www.cccalliance.com)

"As wealthy families become more globalized, their needs for wealth preservation and growth have become more complex and sophisticated in times of financial uncertainty. Michael Pompian has crafted an insightful and comprehensive guide for enhancing your own capabilities and awareness on how to advise the most demanding clients. A must-read for all financial advisers "

-Dr. Kurt Moosmann, MBA TEP CFP; cofounder and Managing Partner of Dara Capital Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland

"Without incorporating the critical components of effective family governance and the awareness of generational and behavioral issues, families of wealth and their advisers are operating blind in their wealth management pursuits. Michael Pompian's book gives both advisers and family members essential insights for discovering the risk factors they must consider in today's environment and in finding the resources required to provide consummate solutions."

-Lisa Gray, graymatter Strategies LLC, author of The New Family Office and Generational Wealth Management

"Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices is a valuable 'handbook' that covers all the major areas of wealth management. While Mr. Pompian has written the book primarily for wealth advisers, Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices will provide invaluable insights to ultra-affluent individuals and families, particularly those who are thinking about setting up a family office or becoming clients of a multifamily office."

-Paul R. Perez, CFA, Managing Director, Family Advisory Services, Northern Trust

"I like the way Michael Pompian presents this material. It covers the waterfront with a clear, concise, and compelling treatment. This book will prove useful for family members and family office executives. I especially admire the multigenerational orientation."

-Bradley G. Fisher, CEO, Springcreek Advisors LLC (Multi-Family Office), Corte Madera, California

A how to guide to avoiding the mistakes ineffective financial advisors most often make

Based on a 15-year consulting program that author Steve Moore has led for financial advisors, "Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors (and the Disciplines to Break Them): A Framework for Avoiding the Mistakes Everyone Else Makes" details proven techniques which allow advisors to transform their business into an elite practice: business analysis, strategic vision, exceptional client service, and acquiring high net worth clients. Told through the story of a purely fictional and completely average financial advisor, each chapter begins with an ineffective habit that is then countered with a discipline that improves business results and adds value. The book
Details a step-by-step strategy for working through current clients, rather than relying on cold calling to form new relationshipsIncludes anecdotes collected through both personal experience and stories relayed to him by clients and colleaguesProvides question and answer segments, examples, and homework assignments

"Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors (and the Disciplines to Break Them" shows you how to deliver exceptional service while generating higher revenue per client.

Redefining Financial Services explores the fundamental redefinition of the role of financial intermediaries in the new century. Combining empirical knowledge with a historical approach, the author reveals that seven centuries of advances in technology have changed the nature of financial services very little. Examining the state of financial services today in the context of the new economy's evolution, Joe DiVanna investigates what changes are happening in the financial industry, where they are occurring, how they are materializing and, more importantly, why.