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 special edition of Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis offers seventeen chapters from invited participants in the International Applied Social Science Congress, held in Turkey between the 19th and 21st April 2018. The chapters included tackle a range of issues, including risk and control in consumer behavior; augmented reality applications in brand trust; foreign exchange rates; and brand reputation influence, among many more. Covering concepts such as retirement planning, the stock market, and herd behavior, Contemporary Issues in Behavioral Finance is a fundamental text for any researcher or student of behavioral finance, with a cast of expert contributors and editors.

In finance, understanding investors and their motivations is key for any business and policy-maker. Analyzing financial decisions and investor behavior can shed light on the major characteristics and variables behind trading decisions, giving researchers and investors a better understanding of the influences that affect the stock market. Understanding the Investor: A Maltese Study of Risk and Behavior in Financial Investment Decisions offers a nuanced view of the Maltese investor and the Malta Stock Exchange. In this in-depth study, author Antonietta Bonello explores the major risk appetite and tolerance characteristics of decision-taking for local financial investors. With foreign direct investment (FDI) growing by around 21% between 2014-2017, Malta's investment activities can be seen and used as an example of actual investment decisions taken by active investors. Looking across investor expectations, return of income, risk and loss aversions, disposition effect, financial literacy and overconfidence, Bonello offers an exciting perspective on investors in Malta, and the implications of this on the wider financial world. For individual investors and researchers in the area of personal finance, this new case study offers an in-depth look at investor behavior, allowing readers to understand the motivations behind emerging investment trends and to draw far-reaching conclusions on how best to prepare for upcoming challenges in financial investment.