Exciting new developments in risk assessment and management Risk assessment and management is fundamentally founded on the knowledge available on the system or process under consideration. While this may be self-evident to the laymen, thought leaders within the risk community have come to recognize and emphasize the need to explicitly incorporate knowledge (K) in a systematic, rigorous, and transparent framework for describing and modeling risk. Featuring contributions by an international team of researchers and respected practitioners in the field, this book explores the latest developments in the ongoing effort to use risk assessment as a means for characterizing knowledge and/or lack of knowledge about a system or process of interest. By offering a fresh perspective on risk assessment and management, the book represents a significant contribution to the development of a sturdier foundation for the practice of risk assessment and for risk-informed decision making. How should K be described and evaluated in risk assessment? How can it be reflected and taken into account in formulating risk management strategies? With the help of numerous case studies and real-world examples, this book answers these and other critical questions at the heart of modern risk assessment, while identifying many practical challenges associated with this explicit framework. This book, written by international scholars and leaders in the field, and edited to make coverage both conceptually advanced and highly accessible: Offers a systematic, rigorous and transparent perspective and framework on risk assessment and management, explicitly strengthening the links between knowledge and risk Clearly and concisely introduces the key risk concepts at the foundation of risk assessment and management Features numerous cases and real-world examples, many of which focused on various engineering applications across an array of industries Knowledge of Risk Assessment and Management is a must-read for risk assessment and management professionals, as well as graduate students, researchers and educators in the field. It is also of interest to policy makers and business people who are eager to gain a better understanding of the foundations and boundaries of risk assessment, and how its outcomes should be used for decision-making.
The pricing of derivative instruments has always been a highly complex and time-consuming activity. Advances in technology, however, have enabled much quicker and more accurate pricing through mathematical rather than analytical models. In this book, the author bridges the divide between finance and mathematics by applying this proven mathematical technique to the financial markets. Utilising practical examples, the author systematically describes the processes involved in a manner accessible to those without a deep understanding of mathematics. * Explains little understood techniques that will assist in the accurate more speedy pricing of options * Centres on the practical application of these useful techniques * Offers a detailed and comprehensive account of the methods involved and is the first to explore the application of these particular techniques to the financial markets
An Arbitrage Guide to Financial Markets is the first book to explicitly show the linkages of markets for equities, currencies, fixed income and commodities. Using a unique structural approach, it dissects all markets the same way: into spot, forward and contingent dimensions, bringing out the simplicity and the commonalities of all markets. The book shuns stochastic calculus in favor of cash flow details of arbitrage trades. All math is simple, but there is lots of it. The book reflects the relative value mentality of an institutional trader seeking profit from misalignments of various market segments. The book is aimed at entrants into investment banking and dealing businesses, existing personnel in non-trading jobs, and people outside of the financial services industry trying to gain a view into what drives dealers in today’s highly integrated marketplace. A committed reader is guaranteed to leave with a deep understanding of all current issues. «This is an excellent introduction to the financial markets by an author with a strong academic approach and practical insights from trading experience. At a time when the proliferation of financial instruments and the increased use of sophisticated mathematics in their analysis, makes an introduction to financial markets intimidating to most, this book is very useful. It provides an insight into the core concepts across markets and uses mathematics at an accessible level. It equips readers to understand the fundamentals of markets, valuation and trading. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to understand the essentials of successfully trading, structuring or using the entire range of financial instruments available today.» —Varun Gosain, Principal, Constellation Capital Management, New York «Robert Dubil, drawing from his extensive prior trading experience, has made a significant contribution by writing an easy to understand book about the complex world of today’s financial markets, using basic mathematical concepts. The book is filled with insights and real life examples about how traders approach the market and is required reading for anyone with an interest in understanding markets or a career in trading.» —George Handjinicolaou, Partner, Etolian Capital, New York «This book provides an excellent guide to the current state of the financial markets. It combines academic rigour with the author’s practical experience of the financial sector, giving both students and practitioners an insight into the arbitrage pricing mechanism.» —Zenji Nakamura, Managing Director, Europe Fixed Income Division, Nomura International plc, London
Quantitative Methods for Finance and Investments ensures that readers come away from reading it with a reasonable degree of comfort and proficiency in applying elementary mathematics to several types of financial analysis. All of the methodology in this book is geared toward the development, implementation, and analysis of financial models to solve financial problems.
The Fintech Entrepreneur’s Guide to Regulation and Regulatory Strategy Fintech has been growing dramatically over the last few years, and it is now an important sector in its own right. This means that Fintech companies, who could so far often rely on a comparatively lenient regulatory regime, will now have to give serious thoughts on compliance with applicable regulatory rules. Operating in a highly regulated environment is tedious, but not all bad—companies that can play the regulatory game well have a strategic advantage, especially with regard to time-to-market and scaling. Nothing spells missed opportunity like a competitor building market share with a copycat product whilst you are still waiting for your license! Written for professionals, this book helps anyone whose job has to do with formulating or executing a Fintech startup strategy or whose job touches financial services regulation, or anyone who simply wants an easy- to-read introduction to financial services and their regulation. Describes the purpose of and principle behind modern financial services regulation Explains how to include regulation into a startup’s strategic planning to optimize time-to-market and scaling Gives an overview of the entire financial services space, and which regulations apply where Gives detailed references to 20 key regulations in the EU regulatory system, including PSD, GDPR, CRD, AMLD, MiFID, UCITSD, AIFMD The first part introduces financial services regulation, its purpose, how it is created (especially in the EU and in the US), and it develops a framework for including regulations into the strategic planning of a company. It also gives a rundown of the current financial services space—players and products—and its key regulations. The second part describes a regulatory system in more detail. The system chosen is the EU because it is more consistent and unified than the US system where a lot of the regulation still is created at the state-level. However, as most financial regulation nowadays is determined at the global level, the principles found in EU regulation will be by and large also be found the US and other systems.
Make the smartest choices you can with this must-have read for investors by one of the world's legendary value investors World-renowned investor Francisco García Paramés shares his advice and tips on making smart investments in this must-have book for those looking to make smarter choices for their portfolio. Investing for the Long Term is divided in two parts. The first is formed by three chapters covering Francisco's education and first steps, his initial experience as an investor working alone, and the team work after 2003. This riveting section covers the end of the biggest bull market of the 20th century and the technological and financial crashes of 2000 and 2008. How the team dealt with all that is an interesting personal account that can help you deal with similar situations, should they occur. The second part of the book covers the cornerstones of Francisco's philosophy. It starts with a chapter in Austrian economics, in his view the only sensible approach to economics, which has helped him enormously over the years. It follows with an explanation of why one has to invest in real assets, and specifically in shares, to maintain the purchasing power of ones savings, avoiding paper money (fixed income) at all costs. The rest of the book shows how to invest in shares. Discover the amazing investing principles of one of the most successfully fund managers in the world Examine how one man and his company weathered the two of modern times’ biggest economic crashes Learn how to safely invest your savings Value investing and effective stock-picking underlie some of the world's most successful investment strategies, which is why Investing for the Long Term is a must-have read for all investors, young and old, who wish to improve their stock selection abilities.
It’s never too late to start planning for retirement You Don’t Have to Drive an Uber in Retirement is a survival guide for your golden years, and a lifeline for those entering the Retirement Crisis unprepared. Roughly 45 percent of Americans have zero dollars saved for retirement—but the average retiree will spend $154,000 in out-of-pocket health care costs alone. We need to figure out how to generate more income, even in retirement, and spend less. How do we boost our retirement income? Is investing the way to go? How much do we need, anyway? This book does more than just answer the important questions—it gives you real-world tips to help you reach your financial goals. Yes, it is possible to increase your income in or as you approach retirement. These guidelines will help you optimize your assets and put away more money for the years you’ll need it most. Planning for retirement does not mean holding off on fun today; there are many ways the average American can reduce everyday costs of living without living like a pauper. This book will help you take stock of what you have and what you’ll need, and show you how to bridge the gap. Maximize your savings while minimizing the lifestyle impact Unique ways for generating a meaningful amount of income, that don’t require you to get a job Learn just how much you’ll need for a comfortable retirement Adopt new everyday strategies that will help you bolster your funds Add new income streams, optimize your portfolio, and learn to spend less without living less—these are the key factors in making your golden years truly golden. You Don’t Have to Drive an Uber in Retirement is an important resource and insightful guide for those hoping to one day leave the workforce—in comfort.
A complete set of statistical tools for beginning financial analysts from a leading authority Written by one of the leading experts on the topic, An Introduction to Analysis of Financial Data with R explores basic concepts of visualization of financial data. Through a fundamental balance between theory and applications, the book supplies readers with an accessible approach to financial econometric models and their applications to real-world empirical research. The author supplies a hands-on introduction to the analysis of financial data using the freely available R software package and case studies to illustrate actual implementations of the discussed methods. The book begins with the basics of financial data, discussing their summary statistics and related visualization methods. Subsequent chapters explore basic time series analysis and simple econometric models for business, finance, and economics as well as related topics including: Linear time series analysis, with coverage of exponential smoothing for forecasting and methods for model comparison Different approaches to calculating asset volatility and various volatility models High-frequency financial data and simple models for price changes, trading intensity, and realized volatility Quantitative methods for risk management, including value at risk and conditional value at risk Econometric and statistical methods for risk assessment based on extreme value theory and quantile regression Throughout the book, the visual nature of the topic is showcased through graphical representations in R, and two detailed case studies demonstrate the relevance of statistics in finance. A related website features additional data sets and R scripts so readers can create their own simulations and test their comprehension of the presented techniques. An Introduction to Analysis of Financial Data with R is an excellent book for introductory courses on time series and business statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate level. The book is also an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of business, finance, and economics who would like to enhance their understanding of financial data and today's financial markets.
A comprehensive guide to one of the key risk management issues in the expanding field of Islamic finance For Islamic financial institutions, Sharia non-compliance is a growing and key risk that must be carefully managed. This book offers a thorough look at non-compliance risk and explains the legal documentation necessary to ensure compliance for professionals in the Islamic finance industry. In addition, the book offers helpful guidance and understanding for the legal departments of Islamic financial institutions, as well as lawyers, legal firms, Shariah advisors, Shariah officers, and students studying Islamic finance. The book covers fundamental concepts, major risk elements, tools and techniques for identifying non-compliance, legal documentation, and the impact of non-compliance, among other vital topics. Offers comprehensive coverage of the growing field of non-compliance risk management in Islamic finance Includes in-depth coverage of legal documentation Written by an expert on the topic who teaches at INCEIF, The Global University for Islamic Finance and IIUM, International Islamic University of Malaysia in Malaysia
A comprehensive overview of investment banking for professionals and students The investment banking industry has changed dramatically since the 2008 financial crisis. Three of the top five investment banks in the United States have disappeared, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have converted to commercial banking charters. This Third Edition of The Business of Investment Banking explains the changes and discusses new opportunities for students and professionals seeking to advance their careers in this intensely competitive field. The recent financial regulation overhaul, including the Dodd-Frank legislation, is changing what investment banks do and how they do it, while the Volcker rule has shaken up trading desks everywhere. This new edition updates investment banking industry shifts in practices, trends, regulations, and statistics Includes new chapters on investment banking in BRIC countries, as Brazil, Russia, India, and China now account for a quarter of the global economy Explains the shift in the listing of securities away from New York to various financial centers around the world, and how major exchanges compete for the same business This new edition, reflecting the current state of the investment banking industry, arrives in time to better serve professionals wanting to advance their careers and students just beginning theirs.