The traditional role of a bank was to transfer funds from savers to investors, engaging in maturity transformation, screening for borrower risk and monitoring for borrower effort in doing so. A typical loan contract was set up along six simple dimensions: the amount, the interest rate, the expected credit risk (determining both the probability of default for the loan and the expected loss given default), the required collateral, the currency, and the lending technology. However, the modern banking industry today has a broad scope, offering a range of sophisticated financial products, a wider geography -- including exposure to countries with various currencies, regulation and monetary policy regimes -- and an increased reliance on financial innovation and technology. These new bank business models have had repercussions on the loan contract. In particular, the main components and risks of a loan contract can now be hedged on the market, by means of interest rate swaps, foreign exchange transactions, credit default swaps and securitization. Securitized loans can often be pledged as collateral, thus facilitating new lending. And the lending technology is evolving from one-to-one meetings between a loan officer and a borrower, at a bank branch, towards potentially disruptive technologies such as peer-to-peer lending, crowd funding or digital wallet services. This book studies the interaction between traditional and modern banking and the economic benefits and costs of this new financial ecosystem, by relying on recent empirical research in banking and finance and exploring the effects of increased financial sophistication on a particular dimension of the loan contract.

This timely collection of papers probes into the major issues that are at the heart of our current financial market crises. The coverage of banking topics include the changing nature of intra and inter-bank markets, bank lending behavior, risk and risk-taking, the role of liquidity, return and maturity transformation issues. Issues on international financial market volatility and spillover effects are analyzed in detail, and intense discussions on capital adequacy and regulation in banking, and the potential role of banks' activities in the triggering of financial crises provide forward-looking insights.This volume will offer readers current and innovative approaches to assessing extant issues in banking and financial markets. In particular, it provides new ideas about the role of corporate governance institutions as signaling devices in exercising regulatory authority and protection of the shareholders' rights. What this volume covers in breadth, it also delves in depth with critical analyses and commentaries on the possible role of bank lending in triggering international crises, value creation in international joint ventures and the pricing of risk in international financial markets.

International capital flow and domestic financial market structures explain why some countries are more vulnerable to banking crises.

"This is a very timely book. With the recapitalization and reform of China's banking sector now well under way, the banks are on the brink of a new era of growth and expansion. This work is the definitive reference on the banking sector in China, and is an essential tool for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of financial intermediation on the Mainland. It sets out the facts, free of the judgment calls that so often cloud the true picture of the health of China's banking system." --Dr. David K.P. Li, Chairman and Chief Executive, The Bank of East Asia, Limited "As China continues its impressive pace of economic growth, the rest of the world is constantly reassessing the opportunities and challenges it presents. This book is the first official report on the status of China's financial services industry and financial markets. For the first time, the international community gets access to the same information that the Chinese government uses in making key policies. Such unique insights make this book an essential read for business leaders, investors, policy makers, scholars, and anyone who is interested in understanding China's profound impact on businesses and consumers globally." --Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman & CEO, C.V. Starr & Co. "This is the first book that introduces all aspects of the Chinese banking and financial markets to international audiences. From its developmental history to its contemporary challenges, China's banking and finance markets are presented, explored and analyzed with great detail and in great depth. Both the richness of the data and the scholarly strength of the methodology are a milestone. China's increasing participation in global financial markets makes this book a must read for all financial professionals worldwide." --Lefei Liu, Chief Investment Officer, ChinaLife Insurance

Young people, hardest hit by the global economic downturn, are speaking out and demanding change. F&D looks at the need to urgently address the challenges facing youth and create opportunities for them. Harvard professor David Bloom lays out the scope of the problem and emphasizes the importance of listening to young people in "Youth in the Balance." "Making the Grade" looks at how to teach today's young people what they need to get jobs. IMF Deputy Managing Director, Nemat Shafik shares her take on the social and economic consequences of youth unemployment in our "Straight Talk" column. "Scarred Generation" looks at the effects the global economic crisis had on young workers in advanced economies, and we hear directly from young people across the globe in "Voices of Youth." Renminbi's rise, financial system regulation, and boosting GDP by empowering women. Also in the magazine, we examine the rise of the Chinese currency, look at the role of the credit rating agencies, discuss how to boost the empowerment of women, and present our primer on macroprudential regulation, seen as increasingly important to financial stability. People in economics - C. Fred Bergsten, American Globalist. Back to basics - The multi-dimensional role of banks in our financial systems.

Analyses governance structures for international finance, evaluates current regulatory reforms and proposes a new governance system for global financial markets.