Although the asset management industry has come under increasing scrutiny since the financial crisis it still remains poorly understood and investment scandals continue to headline in the financial press. Whereas most literature on the industry focuses on the technical end - how managers invest and what tips others can glean - this book explores the way these businesses operate as businesses and how they make their money. The book explains how the industry is organized, how firms generate revenues through various types of fund, fees and charges and what cost pressures they face. It investigates the nature of their client relationships, the role played by star investors and the requirement for firms to integrate non-financial considerations into their investment process. The inherent tensions and potential conflicts of interest within asset managers that seek to keep both clients and shareholders happy is also examined. The book concludes by considering how the industry is evolving, the role of regulation and where it is struggling to change. Suitable for students of business and finance, those working in allied areas of the finance sector, and for anyone with a general interest in how financial institutions and markets operate, the book offers readers a balanced and incisive guide to the economics of an industry that globally controls more than $100 trillion of financial assets and a critical appraisal of the sector's future.

This book provides an approach to sustainable decision-making rooted in financial and economic literature. Financial economic techniques have the power to frame the discussion of sustainability to explain who, how, and why sustainability is a growing phenomenon in business and investing. Financial concepts in a sustainable framework provide a theoretical basis to approach research and business questions on sustainability. The framework provides for a better understanding of the different definitions of sustainability and the role those differences have on decisions that will lead to the future of sustainable business. A future which relies on growth driven by expanding its markets' reach (demographics), its innovation or creation of new products, and its capital structure (leverage). Third party certification and governmental regulation become the constraints on that growth as well as the proof of sustainable growth. Finally, the ability and methods for investors to support sustainable growth is addressed in a modern portfolio theory analysis.

The 1964 termination of the Studebaker Corporation's pension plan wiped out or significantly reduced the pensions of thousands of the automaker's employees and retirees. In response, the US Congress passed the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), a monumental and revolutionary piece of legislation crafted to address corporate pension underfunding. The bill also set new rules regarding defined benefit (DB) and other retirement plans, and it established the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation as a government-run insurer to serve as a backdrop to U.S. corporate pensions. Despite the bill's far-ranging scope, in the decades since its passage, it has become evident that ERISA failed to achieve many of its intended objectives. The corporate pension scene today is in turmoil, and most private employers have terminated or frozen their traditional DB plans. In their place, employers are increasingly substituting defined contribution (DC) retirement saving plans, which pose a new set of responsibilities on employees and their firms. This volume investigates how and why traditional approaches to pension risk management have failed, and we also explore the new mechanisms required to strengthen retirement security for the future. Lessons from international experience are also included, ranging from Singapore to Switzerland, and the Netherlands to Australia.

Although the asset management industry has come under increasing scrutiny since the financial crisis it still remains poorly understood and investment scandals continue to headline in the financial press. Whereas most literature on the industry focuses on the technical end - how managers invest and what tips others can glean - this book explores the way these businesses operate as businesses and how they make their money. The book explains how the industry is organized, how firms generate revenues through various types of fund, fees and charges and what cost pressures they face. It investigates the nature of their client relationships, the role played by star investors and the requirement for firms to integrate non-financial considerations into their investment process. The inherent tensions and potential conflicts of interest within asset managers that seek to keep both clients and shareholders happy is also examined. The book concludes by considering how the industry is evolving, the role of regulation and where it is struggling to change. Suitable for students of business and finance, those working in allied areas of the finance sector, and for anyone with a general interest in how financial institutions and markets operate, the book offers readers a balanced and incisive guide to the economics of an industry that globally controls more than $100 trillion of financial assets and a critical appraisal of the sector's future.

This comprehensive book begins with a consideration of the nature of the general banker-customer relationship, the obligations it poses and the issues relating to the commencement of the banking relationship. It provides individuals and companies with valuable guidance when assessing the risks in their relationship with banks, and vice versa. The following chapters allow all parties to consider carefully the central issues and underlying general principles that might arise by addressing the various activities undertaken by a lender. The duty of confidentiality, lenders as fiduciaries, the lender's duty to advise borrowers on the imprudence of transactions as well as fraud, and banks as constructive trustees and damages for breach of contract by a lender are all considered. The final chapters explore the duties of security holders and mortgagees of land, the liability of lenders for receivers they appoint, environmental liability and lender liability as shadow directors concerning wrongful trading. The book outlines liability in negligence and contract, with specific reference to existing case law concerning banks in this field from an English law perspective, and also Scottish and Commonwealth law, thus providing valuable applicability to the banking context for practitioners in other fields.

This comprehensive account of financial regulation and supervision in times of crisis analyses the complex changes under way regarding the new financial regulatory structures in the EU. Focusing on the organisation of financial supervision, it deals with the background to the reforms, the architecture of the regulatory system, the likely implications for the financial institutions and the challenge of international co-operation. Changes in the US have been heavily criticised and in Europe a brand new regulatory system with three new regulatory agencies and a systemic risk board has been developed. National systems are in the process of being updated. International cooperation, although still difficult, has made progress, with the Financial Stability Board now acting on behalf of the G.20. Central bank cooperation has improved significantly and in the meantime, sectoral regulations are being adapted in full speed, such as Basel III, AIDMD, MiFID and many others. This book gives an overall view of these complex changes. The first section of the book provides an assessment of the reforms and considers the background to their making. In the section on regulatory structure there is analysis of the new regulatory bodies, their complex competences and actions. The book also takes a critical look at their likely effectiveness. The final section of the work considers the actual implementation of the new rules in a cross-border context.

Financial stability is a pillar of well-functioning financial markets. After the last financial crisis, European policymakers harmonised banking regulation and revised the framework of banking resolution. The introduction of the bail-in legislation is a natural experiment to improve the understanding of banking resolution and how it affected the funding strategies of banks. This book assesses whether financial stability has been strengthened by the change in banks' resolution policy with a focus on the bail-in. The book shows how banks changed their funding strategies, shrank their balance-sheets and relied more on deposits. The book will discuss inter-alia the mis-selling of bonds, which happened during 2012-2013, analysing whether the bond allocation changed after the bail-in launch. It discusses how the bail-in mechanism was deemed credible by equity holders and argues that the European case would have useful implications for third countries. Finally, the book relates this discussion to the possible collateral effects generated by the new resolution policy during and after the COVID-19 crisis, which will be of particular interest to researchers and policymakers in banking and financial institutions.

Distilled small business advice for accounting practices

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Michael Gerber's "The E-Myth Accountant" fills this void, giving you powerful advice on everything you need to run your practice as a successful business, allowing you to achieve your goals and grow your practice. Featuring Gerber's signature easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement style, "The E-Myth Accountant" features
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Norges Bank has been an integrated part of Norwegian economic development from the complicated birth of the new nation-state after the Napoleonic wars to the present nouveau-richness of the Norwegian oil economy. This book traces its 200-year history, focusing on its relations with political institutions that have shaped and reshaped the bank's role since its establishment in 1816. In the first fragile years of the new nation, Norges Bank took centre stage in the discussion on how to reconstruct a collapsed monetary system, and how trust and resources should support the core financial function of the State apparatus. The financial and political role of the bank came to the fore from the late 1800s and peaked during the turbulent interwar years of the 1920s, after which the bank became the foremost defender of the monetary order and the gold standard, in bitter conflict with the emerging Labour Party. The blow that the Second World War delivered to central bank independence left the bank firmly subordinated to the Ministry of Finance. Not until 1986 was larger autonomy in monetary policy granted, and since then the bank's weight and responsibilities have continued to expand with its position as manager of the Norwegian oil fund. The bank's role has been largely defined by perceptions of what kind of financial services Norway needed, how economic policy was coordinated, and how discretionary power was distributed between the elected bodies, the executive branch, and underlying institutions with a defined mandate. The central aim of this book is to trace and explain these changes over the past two centuries.

The venture capital model doesn't work-at least not for 99% of startups and small businesses. In this 99% are a lot of companies with incredible potential: businesses headed by female founders and those from diverse racial backgrounds, organizations headquartered outside of venture capital hubs, and purpose-driven enterprises that are creating social and environmental impact alongside financial success. Counter to what the press-savvy venture capital world would have you believe, there are a lot of funding options out there for startups and small businesses. Adventure Finance is designed to help you understand some of these options, and walk you through real examples of how other founders and funders have put them to use. In simple, approachable language, the book breaks down the different types of funding options available from revenue-based financing to recoverable grants to redeemable equity to distributed ownership and more. Through a mix of storytelling and frameworks, based on a decade of research and experience in investing in early-stage companies, this book will give you the ability to determine how each of these structures can contribute to your own funding journey. The goal for this book is to shift the conversation about startup funding and help founders and funders widen the spectrum of "mainstream" investment options in order to make the venture financing world more inclusive and purpose-driven.

Equivalence in Financial Services offers a comprehensive and cross-industry examination of the rules and procedures under EU financial legislation dedicated to third-country market actors. The equivalence regime has become particularly topical after Brexit, as the United Kingdom is now a third country from the perspective of the European Union. This book investigates whether the current equivalence system is fit for its purpose, namely facilitating cross-border finance while minimizing as extensively as possible financial risks. After describing how the European Commission adopts equivalence measures, the book examines the implementation of the equivalence regime for the following entities: Credit Rating Agencies, Benchmarks, Trading Venues, Investment Firms, Investment Funds, Central Securities Depositories, Trade Repositories, and Central Counterparties. Addressing the most recent policy and legal developments, Equivalence in Financial Services provides an insightful guide into this complex area of financial regulation for scholars of financial regulation, legal practitioners, and policy makers.

International trade and investment in services are an increasingly important part of global commerce. Advances in information and telecommunication technologies have expanded the scope of services that can be traded cross-border. Many countries now allow foreign investment in newly privatized and competitive markets for key infrastructure services, such as energy, telecommunications, and transport. More and more people are travelling abroad to consume tourism, education, and medical services, and to supply services ranging from construction to software development. In fact, services are the fastest growing components of the global economy, and trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in services have grown faster than in goods over the past decade and a half.
International transactions, however, continue to be impeded by policy barriers, especially to foreign investment and the movement of service-providing individuals. Developing countries in particular are likely to benefit significantly from further domestic liberalization and the elimination of barriers to their exports. In many instances, income gains from a reduction in protection to services may be far greater than from trade liberalization in goods.
In light of the increasing importance of international trade in services and the inclusion of services issues on the agendas of the multilateral, regional and bilateral trade negotiations, there is an obvious need to understand the economic implications of services trade and liberalization. A Handbook of International Trade in Services provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, making it an essential reference for trade officials, policy advisors, analysts, academics, and students. Beginning with an overview on the key issues in trade in services and discussion of the GATS, the book then looks at trade negotiations in the service sector, the barriers to trade in services, and concludes by looking at a number of specific service sectors, such as financial services, e-commerce, health services, and the temporary movement of workers.

This book explores the nature of money and banking throughout their history, and applies this to the study of financial crises. The first part of the book covers the evolution of monetary arrangements, money creation and the business of banking since their earliest manifestations to the present day, showing how changes in the business of banking led to a transformation in the money we use. The second part of the book applies the understanding acquired during the first part to the study of financial crises, showing that money is taken out of circulation when bank loans are paid back. This key insight is at the core of the mechanism that explains financial crises, since an economy that sees its money supply diminish is also an economy that cannot generate enough demand for its own goods and services. Financial crises result when bank lending slows down or comes to a halt - while outstanding bank loans are still due for repayment. The mechanism is discussed in detail, and the crucial role of banks highlighted. Adequate policy measures to prevent crises, or to mitigate their effects, are then put forward in light of this mechanism. The book will be of interest to researchers and students of economic and financial history, as well as those working in finance, banking and economics more widely.

People Are Talking About "Leading for Growth"

"Ray Davis addresses many of the key issues we face in continuing to drive growth at Nike--staying connected with the consumer, leading change, building the brand, and cultivating a strong corporate culture. He offers clear solutions and creative leadership approaches for all business leaders, regardless of industry."
--Charlie Denson, president, Nike Brand

"Ray Davis is a leader for the 21st century. He understands that winning companies compete on ideas--ideas that shape the future of their industry and reshape the sense of what's possible among customers, employees, and investors."
--Polly LaBarre, coauthor, "Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win"

"Thanks to Ray Davis's leadership, Umpqua Bank is the premier experience-stager in the banking industry. The principles that he brought to bear to lead what once was a small, sleepy company into a dynamic, growing organization are yours for the taking in "Leading for Growth. Read" it, apply them, grow, repeat."
--B. Joseph Pine II, coauthor, "The Experience Economy," and cofounder, Strategic Horizons LLP

"Growing a business demands basic disciplines that are often ignored. "Leading for Growth" provides a compelling look at what's required for companies to break out of the pack."
--James Champy, coauthor, "Reengineering the Corporation," and chairman of consulting for Perot Systems

""Leading for Growth" presents an inspiring and powerful set of lessons about growing a company from a leader who has 'been there and done that.' The book is relevant to anyone in a leadership position faced with the need to change a culture and/or growsuccessfully--essentially, all of us."
--Eric Flamholtz, president, Management Systems Consulting Corporation, and professor of management, Anderson School, UCLA

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access. The increasing capacity of digital networks and computing power, together with the resulting connectivity and availability of "big data", are impacting financial systems worldwide with rapidly advancing deep-learning algorithms and distributed ledger technologies. They transform the structure and performance of financial markets, the service proposition of financial products, the organization of payment systems, the business models of banks, insurance companies and other financial service providers, as well as the design of money supply regimes and central banking. This book, The Future of Financial Systems in the Digital Age: Perspectives from Europe and Japan, brings together leading scholars, policymakers, and regulators from Japan and Europe, all with a profound and long professional background in the field of finance, to analyze the digital transformation of the financial system. The authors analyze the impact of digitalization on the financial system from different perspectives such as transaction costs and with regard to specific topics like the potential of digital and blockchain-based currency systems, the role of algorithmic trading, obstacles in the use of cashless payments, the challenges of regulatory oversight, and the transformation of banking business models. The collection of chapters offers insights from Japanese and European discourses, approaches, and experiences on a topic otherwise dominated by studies about developments in the USA and China.

Financial Services: Authorisation, Supervision and Enforcement provides litigators and compliance advisers with an understanding of the powers available to the Financial Services Authority in the context of the regulatory regime established under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. It also clearly sets out the processes for authorisation and examines the meaning of 'regulated activity'. The text comprehensively explains the investigatory powers, sanctions and remedies available to the FSA, and the procedures applicable to their exercise, giving invaluable assistance to those advising and representing firms in proceedings involving the FSA. All such proceedings are considered, whether they take the form of an FSA investigation, disciplinary proceedings involving the Regulatory Decisions Committee or the Financial Services and Markets Act Tribunal, civil proceedings in the High Court, or a criminal prosecution. Russen not only makes extensive reference to the detailed provisions of the FSA Handbook, but also addresses, where appropriate, particular issues of practice and procedure that are likely to have an impact upon FSA investigations and any civil or criminal proceedings instituted by the FSA. In addition to its detailed treatment of the procedure governing action and litigation by the FSA, the book contains chapters on the authorisation process and on the substantive law (including complex secondary legislation) relating to money laundering, market abuse and financial promotions. Each of these areas is at the heart of the FSA's role as the single regulator of the financial markets in the UK and has been the subject of recent and substantial change both internally and as result of European developments. The powers of the FSA and the procedures relating to enforcement and litigation in this area are examined in the context of the authorisation rules and ways in which authorised entities may commit regulatory offences.

Everything that we know about the world of finance is changing before us. Innovation is happening constantly, despite the protests of the traditional financial industry. With all the new technology that we have today, it is almost mind-blowing to think about the kind of technology that we will have in another ten years or so. The change is going to keep coming, the only thing we can do is get on board with it. This book introduces the basics of FinTech and equips readers with the knowledge to get on the cutting edge of age we live in today.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Evolution of Financial Services. 1. Financial Services. 2. Collapse of "Too Big to Collapse." 3. Green Shoots Transforming the Way Financial Services Are Managed. 4. First-Generation Disruptions. 5. Emergence of Unicorns. 6. Fintechs as an Established Industry. Part 2: Fintechs: Unchartered Territory for Traditional Business. 7.Challenging Goliaths of Banking Industry. 8. Replacing Wallets. 9. Homecoming of a Safe Way of Leading Your Life. 10. Keeping Fraudsters Away. 11. Skin in the Game (Guaranteed Returns). 12. Transforming the Experience. 13. Collapse of the Great Wall. 14. Thinking Like Me. Part 3: Techtonic Shift in Technology Propelling Fintech Innovations. 15. Emergence of App Stores. 16. Cloud. 17. Big Data and Hadoop. 18. IoT. 19. Blockchain. 20. Artificial Intelligence. 21. Opening the APIs. Part 4: Fintech Revolution Is Everywhere. 22. USA. 23. Europe. 24. The Dragon and Tiger Countries. 25. Innovations in the Sahara and Amazons of the World. Part 5: Funding the Fintechs. 26.Large Banks Funding Fintechs. 27. Convergence of Telecom and Retail to Banking Using the Fintech Route. 28. Institutional Investors Jumping into the Fray. 29. Self-funded Fintechs. 30. Crowd-Sourced Fintechs. Part 6: The Road Ahead for Fintechs. 31. Disruptions a Hype or Reality. 32. Let the Orders Flow. Making Money for Investors. 33. Being Legally Compliant. 34. Becoming the Torch Bearer to a More Simplified Financial Services Industry.

Mobile financial services (MFS) are of major interest and importance to both researchers and practitioners. The role played by nonbanking actors including telecoms and FinTech firms as well as other participants, such as PayPal and Amazon, in developing and deploying innovative financial and payment services is undeniable. Peer2peer (P2P) payments from nonbank services are becoming increasingly commonplace and will shortly be codified by EC (EU?) regulations requiring banks to provide access to consumer data for third-party app developers and service providers. Three major mobile financial systems-mobile banking, mobile payments, and branchless banking-currently dominate the electronic retail banking sector. Although interconnected and interrelated, their business models, regulatory frameworks, and target markets are distinct. This book provides a unified perspective on MFS and discusses its evolution, growth, and future, as well as identifying the frameworks, stakeholders, and technologies used in financial information systems in general and MFS in particular. Academics and researchers in digital and financial marketing will find this book an invaluable resource, as will bank executives, regulators, policy makers, FinTech professionals, and anyone interested in how mobile technology, social media and financial services will increasingly intersect.

As drivers of climate action enter the fourth decade of what has become a multi-stage race, Net Zero has emerged as the dominant organizing principle. Hundreds of corporations and investors worldwide, together responsible for assets in the tens of trillions of dollars, are lining-up for the UN Race to Zero. This latest stage in the race to save civilization from heat, drought, fires, and floods, is defined by steering toward zeroing out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Settling Climate Accounts probes the practice of Net Zero finance. It elucidates both the state of play and a set of directions that help form judgements about whether Net Zero is going to carry climate action far enough. The book delves into technical analyses and activates the reader's imagination with narrative accounts of climate action past, present, and future. Settling Climate Accounts is edited and authored by Stanford University faculty and researchers. The first part of the book investigates the rough edges of Net Zero in practice, exploring questions of hedging risk, Scope 3 emissions, greenwashing, and the business of asset management. The second half looks at states, markets, and transitions through the lenses of blended finance, offsets, debt, and securitization. The editors tease out possible solutions and raise further questions about the adequacy and reach of the Net Zero agenda. To effectively navigate the road ahead, the editors call out the need for accountability and ask: who is in charge of making Net Zero add up? Settling Climate Accounts offers context and foundation to ground the rapidly evolving practice of Net Zero finance. Targeted at seasoned practitioners, newly activated leaders, educators, and students of climate action the world over, this book embraces the complexity of climate action and, in so doing, proposes to animate and drive hope.

What does an undocumented immigrant look like? What kind of family must she come from? How could she get into this country? What is the true price she must pay to remain in the United States? JULISSA ARCE knows firsthand that the most common, preconceived answers to those questions are sometimes far too simple-and often just plain wrong. On the surface, Arce's story reads like a how-to manual for achieving the American dream: growing up in an apartment on the outskirts of San Antonio, she worked tirelessly, achieved academic excellence, and landed a coveted job on Wall Street, complete with a six-figure salary. The level of professional and financial success that she achieved was the very definition of the American dream. But in this brave new memoir, Arce digs deep to reveal the physical, financial, and emotional costs of the stunning secret that she, like many other high-achieving, successful individuals in the United States, had been forced to keep not only from her bosses, but even from her closest friends. From the time she was brought to this country by her hardworking parents as a child, Arce-the scholarship winner, the honors college graduate, the young woman who climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs-had secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant. In this surprising, at times heart-wrenching, but always inspirational personal story of struggle, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce takes readers deep into the little-understood world of a generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today- people who live next door, sit in your classrooms, work in the same office, and may very well be your boss. By opening up about the story of her successes, her heartbreaks, and her long-fought journey to emerge from the shadows and become an American citizen, Arce shows us the true cost of achieving the American dream-from the perspective of a woman who had to scale unseen and unimaginable walls to get there.

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.

This book discusses the payout phase of the old-age pension saving scheme, the so-called effective premium, and offers detailed actuarial models and analyses of five old-age pension saving products used in practice. These include the basic permanent monthly annuity, without any benefits for survivors, as well as products which, in addition, also include benefits for survivors or authorized persons in the event of the pensioner's death. The purpose of the book is to point out the method of determining future old-age pensions from old-age pension savings, and to present the advantages and disadvantages of such a pension. The book also emphasizes the role of the profitability testing of the products and answers questions concerning the effectiveness of old-age pension savings and insurance. The book is primarily intended for students of actuarial and financial mathematics and future economists.

How could a small country in the middle of Europe, surrounded by much bigger countries and economic giants like Germany and France and in direct competition with North American and Asian rivals, develop world-class, cutting-edge financial markets? Swiss Finance answers this question, separating myth from reality, by explaining how Switzerland managed dramatic pressures brought to bear on its financial markets during the past two decades, perhaps none of them so great as the: * Competitive challenges caused by changes in Switzerland's banking secrecy laws and practices, * Shifting tide of new wealth generation toward Asia (e.g., China, Singapore, and South Korea), * Burdensome federal stamp and withholding taxes, and * Digitalization of the financial services industry, including cybersecurity, cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, central bank digital currencies, the FinTech revolution, and DLT applications. Swiss Finance thoroughly analyzes Swiss financial markets' successes and challenges. It covers critical topics for practitioners and academics to fully understand this unique development in world financial markets and private wealth administration.