Lending Investments And The Financial Crisis

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Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis

Author : Elena Beccalli
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137531010
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (375 download)

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Book Synopsis Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis by : Elena Beccalli

Download or read book Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis written by Elena Beccalli and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-29 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book features contributions from leading researchers into the effect of the recent financial crisis on lending in the banking sector. They explore the emergence of alternative methods of firm financing, including crowdfunding, firm network financing and venture capital, and analyse the performance of listed European innovative firms. The book discusses related topics such as the role of loan dynamics and structure for Central and Eastern European economic growth, the liquidity policy of the European Central Bank during the Euro crisis, sovereign pensions and social security reserve funds. Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis addresses the ways in which the strategies of institutional investors have been impacted by the crisis. The study focuses on Western, Central and Eastern Europe, while providing a wider context in terms of comparison with the Chinese banking system.

Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis

Author : Elena Beccalli
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9781349564989
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (649 download)

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Book Synopsis Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis by : Elena Beccalli

Download or read book Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis written by Elena Beccalli and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lending, Investments and the Financial Crisis addresses the ways in which the strategies of institutional investors have been impacted by the global financial crisis.

Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse

Author :
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1437984673
Total Pages : 646 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (379 download)

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Book Synopsis Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse by :

Download or read book Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Credit Crises

Author : Jochen Felsenheimer
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 3527503757
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (275 download)

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Book Synopsis Credit Crises by : Jochen Felsenheimer

Download or read book Credit Crises written by Jochen Felsenheimer and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-06-16 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the recent subprime crisis, the authors analyze the mechanisms of a financial market crisis. In order to highlight the basic transmission mechanisms and drivers of a financial market crisis they discuss the relevant players & strategies, explain the principles of the financial instruments that were involved in the crisis and analyze how bubbles emerge, how they burst and what the economic impact might be. The authors address the following key questions: * Why do financial markets run into crises over and over again? * Where do risks for financial crises come from? * Who are the players in the game? * Which instruments and strategies can drive a crisis? * What are the transmission mechanisms onto other markets and the real economy? * When is it all finally over? * How to best weather the storm? Hence, in the prologue the authors highlight the basic framework for a financial crisis based on the subprime crisis. Here, they will also introduce the important topics and drivers of the crisis, i.e. the relevant players (banks, investment banks, hedge funds, real money investors, regulators and rating agencies), the involved instruments (ABS/RMBS, CDOs, SIV, leveraged loans, Leveraged Super Senior tranches, etc.), the strategies which caused the crisis or were affected by the meltdown (leveraged exposure to highly correlated risks), and risks that were underestimated (investors ignored the market risk that was involved with the leveraged bets). In the subsequent chapter -- which is split into three parts -- they will explain these important topics in more detail and highlight the infection and transmission mechanisms. As an example, they introduce the business and investment concepts of investment banks and hedge funds and how they were involved in the crisis. Moreover, they explain how structured credit products (such as ABS, CDOs and SIVs) work and how they were used in order to implement leveraged bets in the markets. Finally, they highlight how a financial crisis evolves and why certain financial institutions failed. In the epilogue, they conclude how markets manage a crisis and why the crisis may also be healthy for the stability of financial markets.

Property Boom and Banking Bust

Author : Colin Jones
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119219256
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (192 download)

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Book Synopsis Property Boom and Banking Bust by : Colin Jones

Download or read book Property Boom and Banking Bust written by Colin Jones and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-01-09 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating analysis of the critical role commercial property investment played in the economic boom and bust during the global financial crisis The unprecedented financial boom stretching from the mid-1990s through 2008 ultimately led to the deepest recession in modern times and one of the slowest economic recoveries in history. It also resulted in the emergence of the draconian austerity policies that have swept across Europe in recent years. Property Boom and Banking Bust offers an expert insight into the complex property market dynamics that contributed to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 and its devastating economic consequences. It is the first book to focus on a woefully underreported dimension of the crisis, namely, the significant role that lending on commercial property development played in the crisis. Among other key topics, the authors explore the philosophical and behavioral factors that propelled irresponsible bank lending and the property boom; how it led to the downfall of the banks; the impact of the credit crunch on the real estate industry generally in the wake of the financial crisis; the catastrophic effects the property bust had on property investors, both large and small; and how the financial institutions have sought to recover in the wake of the financial crisis. Provides valuable insights into what happened in previous booms and busts, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, and how they compare with the most recent one Offers an expert assessment of the consequences of the global financial crisis for the banking system and the commercial property industry Examines strategies banks have used to recover their positions and manage the overhang of indebtedness and bad property assets Addresses strategies the real estate industry have used to recover from the collapse in property values Written in an accessible style, and featuring numerous insider case accounts from property bankers, Property Boom and Banking Bust disentangles the complex, tightly-woven factors that led to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, while offering powerful lessons for property industry professionals on how to avoid having history repeat itself.

Liquidity and Crises

Author : Franklin Allen
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199780935
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Liquidity and Crises by : Franklin Allen

Download or read book Liquidity and Crises written by Franklin Allen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-11-30 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Financial crises have been pervasive for many years. Their frequency in recent decades has been double that of the Bretton Woods Period (1945-1971) and the Gold Standard Era (1880-1993), comparable only to the period during the Great Depression. Nevertheless, the financial crisis that started in the summer of 2007 came as a great surprise to most people. What initially was seen as difficulties in the U.S. subprime mortgage market, rapidly escalated and spilled over first to financial markets and then to the real economy. The crisis changed the financial landscape worldwide and its full costs are yet to be evaluated. One important reason for the global impact of the 2007-2009 financial crisis was massive illiquidity in combination with an extreme exposure of many financial institutions to liquidity needs and market conditions. As a consequence, many financial instruments could not be traded anymore, investors ran on a variety of financial institutions particularly in wholesale markets, financial institutions and industrial firms started to sell assets at fire sale prices to raise cash, and central banks all over the world injected huge amounts of liquidity into financial systems. But what is liquidity and why is it so important for firms and financial institutions to command enough liquidity? This book brings together classic articles and recent contributions to this important field of research. It provides comprehensive coverage of the role of liquidity in financial crises and is divided into five parts: (i) liquidity and interbank markets; (ii) the public provision of liquidity and regulation; (iii) money, liquidity and asset prices; (iv) contagion effects; (v) financial crises and currency crises.

Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse (Majority and Minority Staff Report)

Author : United States Senate
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 1304122212
Total Pages : 647 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (41 download)

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Book Synopsis Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse (Majority and Minority Staff Report) by : United States Senate

Download or read book Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse (Majority and Minority Staff Report) written by United States Senate and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2013-06-10 with total page 647 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the fall of 2008, America suffered a devastating economic collapse. Once valuable securities lost most or all of their value, debt markets froze, stock markets plunged, and storied financial firms went under. Millions of Americans lost their jobs; millions of families lost their homes; and good businesses shut down. These events cast the United States into an economic recession so deep that the country has yet to fully recover. This Report is the product of a two-year bipartisan investigation by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into the origins of the 2008 financial crisis. The goals of this investigation were to construct a public record of the facts in order to deepen the understanding of what happened; identify some of the root causes of the crisis; and provide a factual foundation for the ongoing effort to fortify the country against the recurrence of a similar crisis in the future.

A Crisis of Beliefs

Author : Nicola Gennaioli
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691182507
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis A Crisis of Beliefs by : Nicola Gennaioli

Download or read book A Crisis of Beliefs written by Nicola Gennaioli and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How investor expectations move markets and the economy The collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 caught markets and regulators by surprise. Although the government rushed to rescue other financial institutions from a similar fate after Lehman, it could not prevent the deepest recession in postwar history. A Crisis of Beliefs makes us rethink the financial crisis and the nature of economic risk. In this authoritative and comprehensive book, two of today’s most insightful economists reveal how our beliefs shape financial markets, lead to expansions of credit and leverage, and expose the economy to major risks. Nicola Gennaioli and Andrei Shleifer carefully walk readers through the unraveling of Lehman Brothers and the ensuing meltdown of the US financial system, and then present new evidence to illustrate the destabilizing role played by the beliefs of home buyers, investors, and regulators. Using the latest research in psychology and behavioral economics, they present a new theory of belief formation that explains why the financial crisis came as such a shock to so many people—and how financial and economic instability persist. A must-read for anyone seeking insights into financial markets, A Crisis of Beliefs shows how even the smartest market participants and regulators did not fully appreciate the extent of economic risk, and offers a new framework for understanding today’s unpredictable financial waters.

Chain of Blame

Author : Paul Muolo
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118039580
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Chain of Blame by : Paul Muolo

Download or read book Chain of Blame written by Paul Muolo and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-12-21 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An updated and revised look at the truth behind America's housing and mortgage bubbles In the summer of 2007, the subprime empire that Wall Street had built all came crashing down. On average, fifty lenders a month were going bust-and the people responsible for the crisis included not just unregulated loan brokers and con artists, but also investment bankers and home loan institutions traditionally perceived as completely trustworthy. Chain of Blame chronicles this incredible disaster, with a specific focus on the players who participated in such a fundamentally flawed fiasco. In it, authors Paul Muolo and Mathew Padilla reveal the truth behind how this crisis occurred, including what individuals and institutions were doing during this critical time, and who is ultimately responsible for what happened. Discusses the latest revelations in the housing and mortgage crisis, including the SEC's charging of Angelo Mozilo Two well-regarded financial journalists familiar with the events that have taken place chronicle the crisis in detail, showing what happened as well as what lies ahead Discusses how the world's largest investment banks, homeowners, lenders, credit rating agencies, underwriters, and investors all became entangled in the subprime mess Intriguing and informative, Chain of Blame is a compelling story of greed and avarice, one in which many are responsible, but few are willing to admit their mistakes.

The Financial Crisis in Perspective (Collection)

Author : Mark Zandi
Publisher : FT Press
ISBN 13 : 0133087492
Total Pages : 1044 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (33 download)

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Book Synopsis The Financial Crisis in Perspective (Collection) by : Mark Zandi

Download or read book The Financial Crisis in Perspective (Collection) written by Mark Zandi and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 1044 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the financial crisis really happened, and what it really meant: 3 books packed with lessons for investors and policymakers! These three books offer unsurpassed insight into the causes and implications of the global financial crisis: information every investor and policy-maker needs to prepare for an extraordinarily uncertain future. In Financial Shock, Updated Edition, renowned economist Mark Zandi provides the most concise, lucid account of the economic, political, and regulatory causes of the collapse, plus new insights into the continuing impact of the Obama administration's policies. Zandi doesn't just illuminate the roles of mortgage lenders, investment bankers, speculators, regulators, and the Fed: he offers sensible recommendations for preventing the next collapse. In Extreme Money, best-selling author and global finance expert Satyajit Das reveals the spectacular, dangerous money games that are generating increasingly massive bubbles of fake growth, prosperity, and wealth, while endangering the jobs, possessions, and futures of everyone outside finance. Das explains how everything from home mortgages to climate change have become fully financialized... how "voodoo banking" keeps generating massive phony profits even now... and how a new generation of "Masters of the Universe" has come to own the world. Finally, in The Fearful Rise of Markets, top Financial Times global finance journalist John Authers reveals how the first truly global super bubble was inflated, and may now be inflating again. He illuminates the multiple roots of repeated financial crises, presenting a truly global view that avoids both oversimplification and ideology. Most valuable of all, Authers offers realistic solutions: for decision-makers who want to prevent disaster, and investors who want to survive it. From world-renowned leaders and experts, including Dr. Mark Zandi, Satyajit Das, and John Authers

The Banks Did It

Author : Neil Fligstein
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674259017
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (742 download)

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Book Synopsis The Banks Did It by : Neil Fligstein

Download or read book The Banks Did It written by Neil Fligstein and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-08 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of the rise and fall of the mortgage-securitization industry, which explains the complex roots of the 2008 financial crisis. More than a decade after the 2008 financial crisis plunged the world economy into recession, we still lack an adequate explanation for why it happened. Existing accounts identify a number of culprits—financial instruments, traders, regulators, capital flows—yet fail to grasp how the various puzzle pieces came together. The key, Neil Fligstein argues, is the convergence of major US banks on an identical business model: extracting money from the securitization of mortgages. But how, and why, did this convergence come about? The Banks Did It carefully takes the reader through the development of a banking industry dependent on mortgage securitization. Fligstein documents how banks, with help from the government, created the market for mortgage securities. The largest banks—Countrywide Financial, Bear Stearns, Citibank, and Washington Mutual—soon came to participate in every aspect of this market. Each firm originated mortgages, issued mortgage-backed securities, sold those securities, and, in many cases, acted as their own best customers by purchasing the same securities. Entirely reliant on the throughput of mortgages, these firms were unable to alter course even when it became clear that the market had turned on them in the mid-2000s. With the structural features of the banking industry in view, the rest of the story falls into place. Fligstein explains how the crisis was produced, where it spread, why regulators missed the warning signs, and how banks’ dependence on mortgage securitization resulted in predatory lending and securities fraud. An illuminating account of the transformation of the American financial system, The Banks Did It offers important lessons for anyone with a stake in avoiding the next crisis.

Prudent Lending Restored

Author : Yasuyuki Fuchita
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 0815703996
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

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Book Synopsis Prudent Lending Restored by : Yasuyuki Fuchita

Download or read book Prudent Lending Restored written by Yasuyuki Fuchita and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is little dispute that the mortgage meltdown of 2007, created by irresponsible lending and lax oversight, helped lead to the global financial crisis. Why were these securities backed by subprime debt so desirable to so many seemingly sophisticated investors? The answer lies in distorted incentives, opaque securitization structures and a willingness to believe that house prices would continue to rise indefinitely and the hope for super-normal returns. In Prudent Lending Restored experts from the United States, Europe, and Japan draw a timeline of key events along the road to our most recent recession. Providing an in-depth analysis of the causes of the subprime mortgage meltdown, they propose reforms, including a more simplified securitization process with emphasis on oversight to encourage more prudent lending. This timely volume—the collaboration between the Brookings Institution and the Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research—argues that securitization can and should have a brighter future, and they lay out ways that will make that possible. Contributors: Jennifer E. Bethel (Babson College), Robert E. Eisenbeis (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta), Allen Ferrell (Havard Law School), Günter Franke (Konstanz University, Germany), Jack Guttentag (University of Pennsylvania), Gang Hu (Babson College), Tetsuya Kamiyama (Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research, Tokyo), Kei Kodachi (NICMR), Jan P. Krahnen (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany), Joseph R. Mason (Louisiana State University), Igor Roitburg (Default Mitigation Management LLC), and Eiichi Sekine (NICMR).

Leverage? What Leverage? A Deep Dive into the U.S. Flow of Funds in Search of Clues to the Global Crisis

Author : Mr.Ashok Vir Bhatia
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475504713
Total Pages : 30 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)

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Book Synopsis Leverage? What Leverage? A Deep Dive into the U.S. Flow of Funds in Search of Clues to the Global Crisis by : Mr.Ashok Vir Bhatia

Download or read book Leverage? What Leverage? A Deep Dive into the U.S. Flow of Funds in Search of Clues to the Global Crisis written by Mr.Ashok Vir Bhatia and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper questions the view that leverage should have forewarned us of the global financial crisis of 2007-09, pointing to several gearing indicators that were neither useful portents of the onset of the crisis nor of its ferocity. Instead it shows, first, that the use of ill-suited collateral in the secured funding operations of U.S.-based investment banks was the fatal link between the collapse of structured finance and the global malfunction of funding markets that turbocharged the downdraft; and, second, that this insight (and others) can be decrypted from the Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States.

Asset Backed Securities. Their Role within the Financial Crisis

Author : Franz Bauer
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
ISBN 13 : 3346245934
Total Pages : 13 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (462 download)

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Book Synopsis Asset Backed Securities. Their Role within the Financial Crisis by : Franz Bauer

Download or read book Asset Backed Securities. Their Role within the Financial Crisis written by Franz Bauer and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 1,7, University of applied sciences, Munich, language: English, abstract: The subprime crisis in 2007 proved to be a decisive factor in the financial world and triggered a global financial crisis of unimagined proportions. This essay examines the role of asset-backed securities in the 2007/2008 financial crisis, focusing on the triggers and the process that eventually led to the bursting of the US real estate bubble. The paper also provides an overview of how the downturn in the US housing market was triggered and how the United States and the global economy slid into recession.

Financial Crises Explanations, Types, and Implications

Author : Mr.Stijn Claessens
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475561008
Total Pages : 66 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)

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Book Synopsis Financial Crises Explanations, Types, and Implications by : Mr.Stijn Claessens

Download or read book Financial Crises Explanations, Types, and Implications written by Mr.Stijn Claessens and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-01-30 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews the literature on financial crises focusing on three specific aspects. First, what are the main factors explaining financial crises? Since many theories on the sources of financial crises highlight the importance of sharp fluctuations in asset and credit markets, the paper briefly reviews theoretical and empirical studies on developments in these markets around financial crises. Second, what are the major types of financial crises? The paper focuses on the main theoretical and empirical explanations of four types of financial crises—currency crises, sudden stops, debt crises, and banking crises—and presents a survey of the literature that attempts to identify these episodes. Third, what are the real and financial sector implications of crises? The paper briefly reviews the short- and medium-run implications of crises for the real economy and financial sector. It concludes with a summary of the main lessons from the literature and future research directions.

More Mortgage Meltdown

Author : Whitney Tilson
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470503408
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (75 download)

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Book Synopsis More Mortgage Meltdown by : Whitney Tilson

Download or read book More Mortgage Meltdown written by Whitney Tilson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-05-11 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A clear look at how to capture investment profits during difficult financial times The U.S. economy has become crippled by the credit and real estate catastrophe. Even though we've all been affected by the calamity and have heard no shortage of news about it, it still seems unfathomable and utterly incomprehensible to most people that the actions of certain mortgage brokers, bankers, ratings agencies, and investment banks could break the economic engine of the world. Now, for the first time, and in terms everyone can grasp, noted analysts and value investing experts Whitney Tilson and Glenn Tongue explain not only how it happened, but shows that the tsunami of credit problems isn't over. The second wave has yet to come. But if you know catastrophe is looming, you can sidestep the train wreck-and even profit. You just need to understand how bad times present opportunity and where to look. More Mortgage Meltdown can help you achieve this goal. The book Breaks down the complex mortgage products and rocket-science securities Wall Street created Addresses how to find investment opportunities within the rubble and position your portfolio to take advantage of the crisis Explains exactly how the combination of aggressive lending, government missteps, and Wall Street trading practices created the perfect economic storm Shows you why the crisis is not yet over and what we can expect going forward More Mortgage Meltdown can help you understand the events that have unfolded, and put you in a better position to profit from the opportunities that arise during these tough financial times.

Money, Greed, and Risk

Author : Charles R. Morris
Publisher : Crown Business
ISBN 13 : 9780812931730
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (317 download)

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Book Synopsis Money, Greed, and Risk by : Charles R. Morris

Download or read book Money, Greed, and Risk written by Charles R. Morris and published by Crown Business. This book was released on 1999 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world seems awash in financial crises. The Asian crisis of 1998, the near-demise of Long Term Capital Management, and the black hole of Russia are just a few of the most recent. Are they the result of greedy speculators, crony capitalism, or the warp speed of the forces of globalization? Can we send in the repairman and get things fixed through the legal and regulatory systems? Or are other causes at work that may be beyond our control? Money, Greed, and Risk is that rare book which, through adroit analysis of both historical and contemporary events and their leading players, lends new insights into the causes of financial turmoil. Charles Morris: Explores the eternal cycle of financial crises: from brilliant innovation to gross excess and inevitable crash, before investors and institutions catch up. Explains why the American financial system grew from a capital-starved backwater in the nineteenth century to one that plays the leading role in the world today. Examines the technological, economic, demographic, and industrial experiences that caused the financial engine to kick into such high gear in the 1980s and 1990s. Shows how the boom-and-bust cycle in early American history helps illuminate recent events in South Asia and Russia. In the process we become more realistic about what to expect during the nascent stages of capitalism and market development everywhere. Explains that globalization is nothing new. The investment system in the nineteenth century was perhaps even more global than the world today. Looks at contemporary financial geniuses--Michael Milken is a good example--and shows that they didn't invent any financial instruments thatnineteenth-century counterparts like Jay Gould hadn't already thought of. There are a handful of books about finance and the financial markets that are substantive enough to provide intellectual grist for sophisticated investors while also providing intriguing explanations of contemporary events that will be of interest to a general audience. Money, Greed, and Risk is one of them. Finance is the plumbing that makes capitalism run. And, like a good plumbing system, finance is invisible when working well. But just as a broken pipe can be a disaster, so too when the financial system breaks and crises and crashes occur. We look to understand the causes and Charles Morris provides unusual insights that bring our understanding to a new level.