The Future of Finance

Financial markets have always promised, and often delivered, prosperity. But, during the last decade, the structure and behavior of financial markets themselves helped create the conditions for an economic implosion that resulted in a banking crisis, recession, and wholesale loss of investor confidence.

While recent events have renewed calls on the need for a paradigm shift in both the investment and banking model, another clear lesson from the crisis is to ''know one's risk,'' and that is best served by appreciating fully the nature of the markets in which finance operates.

The Future of Finance looks beyond the headlines and media hype to present a full and accessible analysis of the factors leading to the crash of 2007 and the banking crisis of 2008, as well as the interaction between these factors. In Part II of the book, the authors present practical recommendations for a revised approach to banking and principles of investment, which if followed will help to produce a more sustainable level of economic prosperity.

While every possible option is impossible to discuss, the measures described throughout these pages should form part of a logical, unbiased review of strategy by both banks and investors.