Are public banks a better alternative to private banks? Do they provide sufficient finance for development? Do they serve as stability anchors in financial markets? This is an invaluable comparison of public banks from countries at different economic development levels. The contributors highlight both the benefits of public banks and their governance failures, overcoming the sterile debate of private versus public. Empirically analyzing three countries with significant public banks - Brazil, Germany and India ? contributors support the Keynesian argument that public banks can contribute to employment by stabilizing the business cycle and by providing finance on a long-term basis. Taking cues from critical interpretative policy analysis, it is argued that neither changes in the incentive structure of management, nor institutional fora for public deliberations will prevent irresponsible behavior. Management?s perception of the mission of public banks has to change, as well as its understanding of their role in society. Public Banks in the Age of Financialization will give insight to advanced students of finance, comparative politics and public management. Policy experts and public bank managers will also benefit from the in-depth case studies that provoke discussion on both the positives and negatives of public banks. Contributors include: O. Butzbach, P. Chavan, S. Deos, M. Dieterle, K. Mettenheim, A. Nunes Ferreira, X. Polikhronidi, M. Rajeev, A.R. Ribeiro de Mendonca, C. Ruocco, C. Scherrer, D. Seikel, H. Semenyshyn, B.H. Sibin, E. Sotto Tibirica Rosa, T. Tagieva

This book is designed as a guide to the world of finance. It provides an opportunity to learn the language of the financial world. It also sets out the concepts and conventions of managerial finance and the main topographical features of the new territory of the statement of financial position, (balance sheet) income statement and cash flow statement. The information is offered in as simple a manner as the subject matter allows. Even a layman will glean valuable tips on how to manage finance in terms of systems and units of administration, and thus be better equipped to understand financing and investment decisions. The book is ideal for the first year student as additional reading material in order to grasp basic concepts. The book is also written for executive courses such as 'Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers". Given the above, the book can be subscribed by all universities offering financial management as a subject, as well as all other organisations offering executive training. The book is also ideal as reading material for non-financial managers that want to get to grips with the basic principles of the subject matter.

In the 1990s many Latin American countries decided upon full or partial pension privatisation, and a similar wave of reforms is currently taking place in Eastern Europe. Privatising Old-Age Security aims to examine what may account for this paradigm change in an area previously considered difficult to reform. Attempting to explore and explain the similarities and differences in pension policy both intra- and inter-regionally, this book analyses the political economy of radical pension reform in using case studies from Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Peru, Poland and Uruguay. By shedding light on the political viability of market-oriented reforms the book is a valuable and unique contribution to the understanding of the political economy of policy reform. With its unprecedented selection of case studies and application of theoretical insights, this book will appeal to researchers and academics of economics, public finance, social policy administration and transition studies. Moreover, policymakers will be intrigued by the up-to-date analysis of recent pension reforms.

Part of The Elgar Series on Central Banking and Monetary Policy, this book explores the relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the economy at large, focusing on the specific relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the future of money. The book explores the complexity of the current monetary policy transmission channels and the issue of confidence in money. Scholars examine the specific relationship between central banking, monetary policy and the future of money, with a particular insight on digital and local currencies. Scholars and students interested in central banking and monetary policy, the digitalization of money and the relationship between central banks and the growth of local currencies will value this timely take on the new realities of central banking. entral

Sovereign Investment: Concerns and Policy Reactions provides the first major holistic examination and interdisciplinary analysis of sovereign wealth funds. Sovereign wealth funds currently hold three trillion dollars' worth of investments, almost twice the amount in all the hedge funds worldwide, and are predicted to hold nine trillion more by 2015.
This relatively new and rapidly expanding phenomenon remains relatively unregulated, but the International Monetary Fund and the G7 aim to establish temporary and voluntary rules to introduce transparency and uniformity until more permanent regulatory structures are instituted. What permanent rules and procedures should govern sovereign wealth funds? What bodies should enforce them? Do the current provisional rules answer the national security concerns of host countries? Editors Karl P. Sauvant, Lisa Sachs, and Wouter P.F. Schmit Jongbloed address these questions in a collection of essays by leading authorities from the IMF, academic institutions, law firms, multi-national corporations, and think tanks. Together, these authors analyze how sovereign wealth funds have helped to limit the effects of the current global economic crisis, and what rules can govern their operation in the future.

Commenting on the quality of the contributors when opening the conference on which these books are based, the former Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Edward George, said 'I cannot remember ever before having had such a galaxy of academic economist and central banking superstars gathered together under one roof!'' Celebrating the contribution that Charles Goodhart has made to monetary economics and policy, this unique compendium of original papers draws together a highly respected group of international academics, central bankers and financial market regulators covering a broad range of issues in modern monetary economics. Topics discussed include: * central bank independence * credibility and transparency * the inflation forecast and the loss function * monetary policy experiences in the US and the UK * the implications of Goodhart's Law * the benefits of single versus multiple currencies * money, near monies and credit. Each chapter of the volume relates to subjects that have been research projects in Charles Goodhart's wide-ranging portfolio, and all are interconnected. Through these, the book offers a summary of current thinking and insights into monetary controversies. Covering recent thinking on monetary theory, central banking, financial regulation and international finance, academic and professional economists alike will find this book an invaluable source of information. The companion volume examines monetary history, exchange rates and financial markets.

This lively book takes Oklahoma history into the world of Wild West capitalism. It begins with a useful survey of banking from the early days of the American republic until commercial patterns coalesced in the East. It then follows the course of American expansion westward, tracing the evolution of commerce and banking in Oklahoma from their genesis to the eve of statehood in 1907.
"Banking in Oklahoma before Statehood "is not just a story of men sitting behind desks. Author Michael J. Hightower describes the riverboat trade in the Arkansas and Red River valleys and freighting on the Santa Fe Trail. Shortages of both currency and credit posed major impediments to regional commerce until storekeepers solved these problems by moving beyond barter to open ad hoc establishments known as merchant banks.
Banking went through a wild adolescence during the territorial period. The era saw robberies and insider shenanigans, rivalries between banks with territorial and national charters, speculation in land and natural resources, and land fraud in the Indian Territory. But as banking matured, the better-capitalized institutions became the nucleus of commercial culture in the Oklahoma and Indian Territories.
To tell this story, the author blends documentary historical research in both public and corporate archives with his own interviews and those that WPA field-workers conducted with old-timers during the New Deal. Bankers were never far from the action during the territorial period, and the institutions they built were both cause and effect of Oklahoma's inclusion in national networks of banking and commerce. The no-holds-barred brand of capitalism that breathed life into the Oklahoma frontier has remained alive and well since the days of the fur traders. As one knowledgable observer said in the 1980s, "You've always had the gambling spirit in Oklahoma."

Gain the knowledge and confidence you need to build and manage budgets and forecast financial information.

This book demystifies budgets and forecasts, providing simple explanations and clear examples. It includes integrated checklists, goals and milestones, to ensure you are on target to achieve the best results.

Part of The Financial Times Essential Guides series: Task-focused and results-orientated, the essential guides are for every manager who wants to move their skills beyond the ordinary to the best.

Microsimulation Modelling of Taxation and the Labour Market reports new research on behavioural microsimulation modelling of tax and transfer systems. Its aims are twofold. Firstly, the book discusses the rationale for the basic modelling approach adopted and provides information on econometric methods used to estimate behavioural relationships. Secondly, it describes the Melbourne Institute Tax and Transfer Simulator (MITTS) in detail, explaining its main features, installation and use.After providing a broad review of tax modelling, the authors review alternative approaches to the analysis of labour supply behaviour, discuss the main components of behavioural microsimulation models and present econometric results concerning wage functions and preferences. They go on to provide a detailed description of MITTS, which was constructed by the authors in order to examine the implications of tax reforms in Australia. Microsimulation Modelling of Taxation and the Labour Market will appeal to those with a special interest in the analysis of tax and transfer systems and labour supply behaviour.

Philipp Maier offers a unique examination of the extent to which governments and various interest groups have exerted pressure on central banks. The book looks in particular at the Deutsche Bundesbank - which acted as the blueprint for the European Central Bank (ECB) - and utilises an original set of indicators to measure external pressure and support from the government and other institutions. The author demonstrates that although some of the rhetoric of the Bundesbank may have been a response to political pressure, the operation and conduct of German monetary policy has not been influenced. The role of various pressure groups remains a more contentious issue, as there is evidence that the Bundesbank may have acted to appease the financial sector. The author also finds that a high degree of public support towards the Bundesbank has helped to mitigate the effect of external forces. As the ECB was closely modelled on its German counterpart, the author is able to extend his analysis to the European level and draw out explicit predictions for the ECB. He argues that external pressure is unlikely to influence the conduct of monetary policy, as it will be less efficient and organised, and public support is likely to be high. In the future, however, this could be jeopardised by a rapid enlargement of EMU which may result in more concentrated and powerful pressure groups. This interesting empirical study of the effect of governments, interest groups and public support on the behaviour and rhetoric of Central Banks will be welcomed by financial and monetary economists, students and scholars of European finance and European policymakers.

This book presents the results of several years of research on competition, concentration, efficiency and performance in the European banking market. The author seeks to explain and interrelate the numerous characteristics of the banking industry, and provide a detailed comparative analysis of various banking sectors throughout Europe. The book begins with a survey on intermediation, integration and internationalisation in the European banking market, which helps to explain the increased competitive pressures banks are now operating under. The author then examines indicators of concentration and competition, and attempts to measure these using a variety of approaches in both EU and non-EU countries. Significantly, he also presents a unique comparison of efficiency throughout the EU by estimating X-inefficiency and cost level differences. The book concludes with an investigation into cyclical patterns of profits, provisions and lending in order to assess the procyclicality of bank behaviour in light of the new Basel Capital Accord. Academics and policymakers interested in banking supervision, financial stability and monetary policy will welcome this thorough analysis of competition and efficiency in the European banking industry. The book will also prove invaluable reading for banking analysts and strategists in central banks, regulatory bodies and competition authorities.

Businesses take on many forms ranging from sole proprietorships, partnerships, and close corporations to companies. The ability of these forms of business ownership to obtain and service credit depends not only on their financial circumstances, but also the knowledge and ability of the credit provider to assess the business' creditworthiness. For a business to be successful it must make a profit. The profit on a sale is not earned unless the money for the sale is in the bank on due date. It is also true that the longer it takes to collect the money from a debtor, the more difficult it becomes. Applied credit management teaches the learner all aspects of the credit management function of an organisation, from the evaluation of the new application, the investigation of the creditworthiness of the customer, the final approval or rejection to the collection and ultimate litigation of an account. All aspects of the National Credit Act (Act 34 of 2006) have been incorporated in the principles of this book.

Mountains of bills and credit debt don't appear overnight, nor can they be erased by the time you wake in the morning. Debt is not something that happens to you. Debt sometimes comes from poor choices and the desire to have more than you can afford. It's time to give instant gratification an overhaul and realize what's important. This may require a return to the days of a more simple life when we earned it before we spent it. Engulfing debt, sleepless nights, and never-ending worry can be rectified with three easy tools: discipline, sacrifice, and patience. Once you learn how to make and stick to a budget, you'll be on the path to a debt-free life. If you're in an overwhelming financial pit, you'll need the tools to help you out of the abyss. Here you'll find the guidance to help.

1,134 Days to 0 is a collection of witty stories and true, heartfelt experiences that guide you along the path to financial freedom. It was written in layman's terms by an everyday person, not your typical intimidating financial guru. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be inspired but most of all, you'll relate. Through the course of your reading, you will have your "aha" moment, when everything seems clear. You will comprehend that true sacrifice can come in many forms. This may be making sure your children have properly fitted clothes and shoes, or a nutritious meal while you are resewing your hems to get one more season out of your work pants. You may recognize yourself in the stories, realize where you went wrong, and identify how to correct your mistakes. In the end, you can reminisce about days gone past when you were in over your head. You'll find your inner rock star and become a savvy shopper and ultimate budget-keeper.