The dramatic story of the last fifty years of the Speyer banking dynasty, a Jewish family of German descent, is surprisingly little known today, yet at the turn of the 20th century, Speyer was the third largest investment banking firm in the United States, behind only Morgan and Kuhn, Loeb. It had branches in London, Frankfurt and New York, and the projects it financed included the Southern Pacific Railroad, the London Underground and the infrastructure of the new Cuban republic. Later, it was the first major banking firm to finance Germany's Weimar Republic, as well as providing League of Nations loans to Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria. Yet, the firm was doomed by the nationalist passions aroused by World War I. Its English partner was denaturalised and exiled; its American partner enjoyed reduced standing because of his connection to Germany; and the Frankfurt branch closed with the coming of the Third Reich, its German partner fleeing into exile. The firm was dissolved in 1939, a surprisingly anticlimactic end to one of the great international banking companies of modern times. George W. Liebmann here tells the story of the firm and the family - shedding new light on the protagonists of a remarkable dynasty, who came undone in the dramatic years of the early 20th century.

The May 2014 National Climate Assessment indicates that the frequency and/or severity of many weather and climate extremes may increase with climate change. Public and private property insurers can bear a large portion of the financial impact of such weather-related losses. In the public sector, federal insurance includes NFIP, managed by FEMA, and the federal crop insurance program, managed by RMA. This book examines how federal and private exposure to losses has changed since GAO's 2007 report on the subject, and what is known about how climate change may affect insured and uninsured losses; how public insurers are preparing for climate change, and any challenges they face; and how private insurers are preparing for climate change and any challenges they face.

One of the chief objectives of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) is to promote financial stability within the United States, without the need for emergency governmental assistance to troubled firms. This book reviews the legal structure of the DFA's living will requirements; and examines some of the steps that these institutions might voluntarily take, which, in the view of the FRB and FDIC, would improve their resolvability, including strategic divestiture; legal reorganization; amendment of default trigger provisions of qualified financial contracts; and increasing their long-term, unsecured debt as a proportion of their assets.

'If Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street is about the finance industry's greediest adults, Kevin Roose's Young Money is a look at those wolves as cubs' Amazon.com 'Best Book of the Month' Every year, thousands of eager graduates are hired by the world's financial giants, where they're taught the secrets of making obscene amounts of money -- as well as how to dress, talk, date, drink, and schmooze like real financiers. Young Money is the exclusive, inside story of this well-guarded world. Investigative reporter Kevin Roose shadows eight rookies as they are exposed to the exhausting workloads, huge bonuses, and recreational drugs that have always characterized Wall Street life. But they experience something new, too: an industry forever changed by the massive financial collapse of 2008. And as they get their Wall Street educations, they face hard questions about morality, prestige, and the value of their work. 'A great new read that doubles as a post-crash update to Michael Lewis' Liar's Poker - Mother Jones 'A fun fast read that will make you laugh out loud' Fortune Magazine

""Skyrm makes complex financial scenarios accessible to all interested readers in an informative and entertaining manner. We can all learn something from this book." -Thomas Peterffy, Chairman, CEO, and President of Interactive Brokers "Skyrm put together the story of MF Global like no one else could in providing the ultimate autopsy covering destructive financial engineering that's played such a big role in our capital markets." -Lawrence G. McDonald, New York Times best selling author of A Colossal Failure of Common Sense "God is in the details...first come the reporters, then the lawyers. Skyrm's book is the necessary antidote. Only someone who has 'done' it can explain it. Perhaps the best 'counterfactual' rationale for reading The Money Noose: If John Corzine had been able to before, there would likely have been no after." -Stan Jonas, Managing Partner, Axiom Management Partners In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. MF Global was bankrupt less than a year after the law's passage. THE MONEY NOOSE is a general accounting of the facts that led to MF Global's collapse, as well as the story of the major players involved. It is a chaotic story, one in which individual actions taken in and of themselves are relatively minor. But the sum of those individual actions equal the same end result. How, then, can investors protect themselves from this outcome? The best answer is education. Investors need to be fully aware of what is involved in the investment process, and that includes an understanding of seg funds. It is, after all, their money. This book is designed to tell the story of MF Global, what went wrong and how things came to an abrupt end. In those regards, it's an incredible story. Scott E.D. Skyrm is one of the leading figures in the repo and securities finance markets today, and regularly quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Bloomberg News Service, Reuters, Market News, and Dow Jones. He is highly regarded as a former salesman, trader, trading desk manager, and global business head in fixed-income, securities finance, and securities clearing and settlement. He recently left Newedge, where he was their "Global Head of Repo, Money Markets, and Fixed Income Clearing." He now is writing commentaries on the repo market, the short-end of the Treasury market, Federal Reserve policy and general Wall Street topics. He has worked on Wall Street for over 22 years and has taken billion-dollar risks on the trading floor, managed a multi-billion dollar balance sheet, and consistently ran one of the most profitable trading groups at every firm where he worked. Prior to Newedge, he managed the repo desk at ING Barings, worked summers at Shearson Lehman/American Express and started his full-time career at The Bank of Tokyo.

In a 2009 study of the debt collection industry, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded that the "most significant change in the debt collection business in recent years has been the advent and growth of debt buying". "Debt buying" refers to the sale of debt by creditors or other debt owners to buyers that then attempt to collect the debt or sell it to other buyers. Debt buying can reduce the losses that creditors incur in providing credit, thereby allowing creditors to provide more credit at lower prices. Debt buying, however, also many raise significant consumer protection concerns. The FTC receives more consumer complaints about debt collectors, including debt buyers, than about any other single industry. Many of these complaints appear to have their origins in the quantity and quality of information that collectors have about debts. This book provides an overview of the debt buying market and the process of buying and selling debt; and the nature and extent of the relationship between the practice of debt buying and the types of information that the FTC has found can occur when debt collectors seek to recover and verify debts.

On March 14, 2012, more than three million people read Greg Smith's bombshell Op-Ed in the New York Times titled "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs." The column immediately went viral, became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, and drew passionate responses from former Fed chairman Paul Volcker, legendary General Electric CEO Jack Welch, and New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. Mostly, though, it hit a nerve among the general public who question the role of Wall Street in society -- and the callous "take-the-money-and-run" mentality that brought the world economy to its knees a few short years ago. Smith now picks up where his Op-Ed left off.
His story begins in the summer of 2000, when an idealistic 21-year-old arrives as an intern at Goldman Sachs and learns about the firm's Business Principle #1: Our clients' interests always come first. This remains Smith's mantra as he rises from intern to analyst to sales trader, with clients controlling assets of more than a trillion dollars.
From the shenanigans of his summer internship during the technology bubble to Las Vegas hot tubs and the excesses of the real estate boom; from the career lifeline he received from an NFL Hall of Famer during the bear market to the day Warren Buffett came to save Goldman Sachs from extinction-Smith will take the reader on his personal journey through the firm, and bring us inside the world's most powerful bank.
Smith describes in page-turning detail how the most storied investment bank on Wall Street went from taking iconic companies like Ford, Sears, and Microsoft public to becoming a "vampire squid" that referred to its clients as "muppets" and paid the government a record half-billion dollars to settle SEC charges. He shows the evolution of Wall Street into an industry riddled with conflicts of interest and a profit-at-all-costs mentality: a perfectly rigged game at the expense of the economy and the society at large.
After conversations with nine Goldman Sachs partners over a twelve-month period proved fruitless, Smith came to believe that the only way the system would ever change was for an insider to finally speak out publicly. He walked away from his career and took matters into his own hands. This is his story.

An inside look at what makes a successful financial services company

Irv Rothman may not have considered a career in the financial services early on, but he ended up in leadership positions at AT&T, Compaq and, for over a decade, Hewlett-Packard. His consistent record of success and insider perspective make him the perfect guide to the art of building and growing a financial services company, and in "Out-Executing the Competition" he shares his remarkable story and years of experience, giving readers a glimpse into his numerous accomplishments and providing takeaways they can apply to their own companies, whatever the industry.

An engaging and lively account of Rothman's career focusing on his work at financial services companies during some of the most economically challenging periods of the past thirty years, the book explores the methods and tactics he used to help his companies not only weather financial uncertainty, but to thrive.Tells the story of financial services company expert Irv Rothman, in his own wordsIncludes invaluable insights into how to build a financial services company that can survive and thrive in even the toughest economic climateHelps readers working at financial services companies and in other industries to construct solid businesses that can outperform their competition

Part biography, part how-to guide, "Out-Executing the Competition" is the ultimate inside look at building a financial services company that's sure to succeed.

The current global financial crisis, which began with the downturn of the U.S. sub-prime housing market in 2007, is testing the ability of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its role as the central international institution for oversight of the global monetary system. Though the IMF is unlikely to lend to the developed countries most affected by the crisis and must compete with other international financial institutions as a source of ideas and global macroeconomic policy co-ordination, the spill-over effects of the crisis on emerging and less-developed economies gives the IMF an opportunity to reassert its role in the international economy. This book discusses the potential roles that the IMF may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis.

In 2007 and 2008, the United States has observed, with some horror, the explosion and collapse of entire segments of the housing market, especially those driven by subprime and alternative or "exotic" home mortgage lending. Foreclosed explains the rise of high-risk lending and why these newer types of loans and their associated regulatory infrastructure failed in substantial ways. Dan Immergluck narrates the boom in subprime and exotic loans, recounting how financial innovations and deregulation facilitated excessive risk-taking, and how these loans have harmed different populations and communities.

Immergluck, who has been working, researching, and writing on issues tied to housing finance and neighborhood change for almost twenty years, has an intimate knowledge of the promotion of homeownership and the history of mortgages in the United States. The changes to the mortgage market over the past fifteen years including the securitization of mortgages and the failure of regulators to maintain control over a much riskier array of mortgage products led, he finds, inexorably to the current crisis.

After describing the development of generally stable and risk-limiting mortgage markets throughout much of the twentieth century, Foreclosed details how federal policy-makers failed to regulate the new high-risk lending markets that arose in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The book also examines federal, state, and local efforts to deal with the mortgage and foreclosure crisis of 2007 and 2008. Immergluck draws upon his wealth of experience to provide an overarching set of principles and a detailed set of policy recommendations for "righting the ship" of U.S. housing finance in ways that will promote affordable yet sustainable homeownership as an option for a broad set of households and communities.

The 2011 paperback edition features a new preface by the author addressing the ongoing global economic crisis and the impact of U.S. financial reform efforts on the mortgage system."

Financial protection against the cost of illness and inclusion of vulnerable groups - will require better mobilization and use of private means. Private voluntary health insurance already plays an important role in mobilizing additional resources to the health sector and protecting against the catastrophic cost of illness in some countries. This review explores the context under which private voluntary health insurance could contribute to an improvement in the sustainability of the health sector and financial protection in other countries.

Based on in-depth interviews with more than 30 senior, experienced bankers, regulators, consultants, and others deeply involved in the regulatory process, this text provides the real best practice picture of what actually works, what ought to work, what prevents it from working, and what needs to be done about bank regulations.

Financial markets are witnessing an unprecedented explosion in the availability of data, and the firms that survive will be able to leverage this information to increase their profit and expand their opportunities in a global world. Large firms must build their own datacenters to manage this data. In such an environment, the CIO s ability is crucial to lead an effective data strategy to capture, process, and connect data to all the relevant lines of business. At the core of this strategy lies the datacenter - the repository of all information. While there are books that discuss the mechanics, hardware and technicalities of datacenters, no book has yet made the connection between enterprise strategy and datacenter investment, design and management. Next Generation DataCenters in Financial Services is a solution driven book for management that demonstrates how to leverage technology to manage the seemingly infinite amount of data available today. Each chapter offers cutting-edge management and technology solutions to effectively manage data through datacenters.
Presents cutting-edge technology solutions not available in one place until now
Includes step-by-step instructions on how to implement a datacenter strategy based on the author s recent success with Wachovia s datacenter
Demonstrates how business and IT can be aligned in financial services"

In a city known for its powerful business leaders, Ben Love towers as one of the most influential. Serving as CEO of Texas Commerce Bancshares in the 1980s, during the collapse of the Texas banking industry, Love had an inside view of the debacle. His story, told here in detail for the first time, provides an insightful perspective on the Texas banking industry's evolution after World War II, its decline, and its subsequent recovery. It also offers a glimpse into of the kind of character that creates men of power. Love grew up with his family during the Great Depression. Their farm outside Paris, Texas, taught him hard lessons about opportunity and financial security-lessons that would serve him well in the future. After America's entry into war in 1941, Love flew Eighth Air Force B-17 combat missions over Europe, then settled in Houston in the late 1940s. His entrance into the world of banking began as a member of the board of directors for River Oaks Bank & Trust. He accepted an offer to leave River Oaks to join Texas Commerce Bank (TCB) in 1967. Appointed president of TCB in 1969 and CEO from 1972 to 1989, Love cultivated change from single banks to holding companies, garnering a national reputation for his banking organization. Under his competent management, TCB was the only "Big Five" Texas bank to survive the economic down-turn. One reason for its continued success lies with Love's successful merger in 1987 with the Chemical Bank of New York, now J. P. Morgan Chase. When he retired at the close of the decade, Love turned his formidable energies to full-time civic and humanitarian work. Ben F. Love's inspiring memoir is one of only a few available in the literature on banking andfinance. Not only does it reveal an inside look at the evolution of banking in Texas, but it will also serve as an instructional guide to future business leaders and managers. The final chapters summarizes experiences and lessons learned in eighty years of a successful and productive life.

The Complete Financial Advisor- Creating Exceptional Careers for Financial Advisors! The 7 Steps to Becoming a Complete Financial Advisor in Today's marketplace are the cornerstone to this book. This is a "how to" career book for someone considering a career as a financial advisor, someone having just begun their career as an advisor, or an advisor struggling to build a successful career and become a million dollar producer!
This book can help you become a better advisor today! The book discusses the 3 primary steps in building a million dollar practice-the advisor, the client, and the practice-and the keys to gaining the rewards a career as an advisor can bring. As an advisor you need to be in the right channel for your personality and selling style; when prospecting, you need to know what type of client to look for, where they are, and what attracts them to an advisor, and then you need to build the office/practice environment that the high net worth client expects- "The Concierge Level practice"!
The book also discusses marketing strategies, referral strategies, and professional designations. Get "in the zone," revitalize and reenergize your career, and look forward to getting to work each and every day!
Don't be part of the more than 80% of advisors that fail after 4 years and start being part of the top 20% that succeed! Get the rewards from life that you deserve with a successful career as a Complete Financial Advisor!
Business franchises succeed and go it alone small business fail because of one factor- they have a business plan and they "don't wing it!" This book gives today's advisor a business plan for success! Stop "winging it" and become a Complete FinancialAdvisor today!

Provides a glimpse of the men who made lasting impressions in the world of business and finance.

Rapid growth in financial services regulation in many countries has led to demand for high quality data about agencies and institutions involved in national and international regulatory systems and explanation of the legal context in which they operate. This major new publication provides detailed, consistently presented information for nearly 300 institutions. It covers organizations with regulatory responsibilities, whether primary or secondary, for the banking and financial services industry on both national and international levels.
Invaluable data provided for each institution include: Scope of Regulation; Legal Basis; Financing; Key Personnel and Organizational Structure; History; Current Regulatory Developments; Regulatory Objectives; Activities and Implementation; Measures to Ensure Compliance; Accountability; Complaints and Redress; Relationships with other Regulatory Bodies; Principal Publications.
The information provided for each regulatory body has been reviewed by a leading law firm in each jurisdiction. This data is complemented by a comprehensive explanation of the financial services regulatory framework in each country, provided by the same law firm. These overviews include: description of the nature of the regulatory regime; recent regulatory developments; analysis of the regulatory bodies, their policies, operational activity and relationships; scope of regulatory responsibilities, their application and legal basis; explanation of the international context; future developments expected.

First published in 1985, this volume examined the development of the United States securities market over the ten years following the 1975 Securities Acts Amendments. Presented by Amihud (entrepreneurial finance, New York U.), Ho (president, Thomas Ho Company), and Schwartz (finance, Baruch College)

Selected as one of the Top 10 Business Books by Booklist

The Last Partnerships is an enormously enjoyable read.--United Press International

The Last Partnerships narrates the rise and fall of the great financial houses--from the Yankee Bankers at the turn of the 19th century, up to Goldman Sachss historic IPO in 1999-- tracing their origins, their successes and failures over the years, and the reasons for their ultimate demise.

In recent years, the delivery of financial services has changed consistent with technological advances that have occurred. On-line banking, on-line trading and brokerage services, and capital markets are available and utilized in varying degrees in the industrialized nations of the world. Beyond the availability of services on-line, E-Finance is redefining the cost and competitive structure of financial services. This convergence of technology and financial services provides opportunities for emerging markets to leapfrog in the development and delivery of financial services. This paper identifies issues arising from the spread of E-Finance including the readiness of telecommunications infrastructure, public policy and regulatory requirements, and financial sector development approaches. It hopes to stimulate dialogue on the role E-Finance can play in supporting the World Bank's overall mission.

From long, firsthand experience as president of his own financial advertising agency, Alec Benn offers a unique, inside look at America's investment community, at a time of changes so profound that their impact and implications are still with us. Based not on public relations handouts (although he himself has written them) but on frank, revealing talks with people who actually participated in the events of those tumultuous seven years, on official oral histories (hitherto concealed), and on his own keen observations, Benn shows how those events and changes really occurred. He reveals that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) was in far greater peril of collapse in 1970 than anyone, except a few insiders, has ever known. He exposes how many of the most significant changes ever to affect investors really came about. And he provides new insights into the people who caused, influenced, or sometimes opposed the reforms we now take for granted, as well as into the impact of historical figures such as Richard Nixon and Ross Perot. Informative, entertaining, and impeccably researched and documented, Benn's book gives us new information to help evaluate the investment world of today, and to appreciate how dangerous it was at another time, a time that some say appears uncomfortably familiar. Among the many topics Benn examines in depth is the creation of the Securities Investors Protection Corporation, the agency that insures against loss of the cash and securities left by investors in their brokers' hands. He shows how stock brokers' commissions came to be competitive and low, instead of fixed and high (a special benefit for today's day traders), and how members of the New York Stock Exchange became able to sell shares in their firms to the general public, opening a bountiful source of permanent capital. He goes on to cover the creation of the Central Certificate System, which led to a dramatic increase in trading volume later, and how the NYSE was reorganized, benefiting not only members but investors as well. Benn also explores how NYSE member firms became authorized to sell annuities and other insurance products, in itself a billion-dollar business. Finally, in an especially telling chapter, he discusses how and why discrimination on Wall Street based on class, religion, race, and gender declined (and by inference, why in some places it still lingers.)

A classic history of banking and trade in the medieval period, combining superb research and analysis with graceful writing.

The Medici Bank was the most powerful banking house of the 15th century. Headquartered in Florence, Italy, it established branches in Rome, Venice, Geneva, Lyons, Bruges, London, and many other cities. The bank served as financial agent of the Church, extended credit to monarchs, and facilitated international trade in Western Europe. By their personal influence and the use of their profits, the owners and administrators of the bank contributed significantly to the development of Florence as the greatest center of the Renaissance.