The bank loan market has increased dramatically in recent years and is now viewed by some as a distinct asset class. This comprehensive book covers the structure of the market, secondary market in trading practices, and how to manage a bank loan portfolio.

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.

We study bank portfolio allocations during the transition of the real sector to a knowledge economy in which firms use less tangible capital and invest more in intangible assets. We show that, as firms shift toward intangible assets that have lower collateral values, banks reallocate their portfolios away from commercial loans toward other assets, primarily residential real estate loans and liquid assets. This effect is more pronounced for large and less well capitalized banks and is robust to controlling for real estate loan demand. Our results suggest that increased firm investment in intangible assets can explain up to 20% of bank portfolio reallocation from commercial to residential lending over the last four decades.

This book is for students and professionals working, or intending to work, in a lending-related role.The text provides comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of bank lending, its principles and practices. Bank lending performs a key role within global and national economies. Individuals and enterprises look primarily to banks and other financial institutions to finance their personal and business requirements. Good lending practice is therefore a core skill required within the financial services industry. This book will give lending staff the detailed knowledge and understanding of the financial and legal aspects of their roles they need to be able to fulfil employer as well as customer expectations.Topics include:lending principlesthe legal and regulatory frameworktypes of borrowerpurposes of financingsecuritythe lending cycleIslamic financeimpact of lending and social responsibilityThe book provides students and practitioners of bank lending with an excellent understanding of lending practices as well as the principles that underpin these practices.

Explains how the author was compelled to help the world's working poor, describing how he discovered the Kiva.org micro-loan portal and his visits to world regions where the organization's loans have enabled people and small businesses to revitalize.

Provides a self-contained, authoritative and coherent treatment of the issue of loan loss provisioning by banks in an international context. Examines the issue from a number of different perspectives - accounting, regulatory, taxation, finance and economic - and demonstrates that there are wide national differences in the accounting treatment of bank loan losses.

This book explores how the global financial and European sovereign debt crises have forced small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to reassess and adapt their funding strategies. At the heart of the matter is the worsening access to bank credit for such enterprises. Through this discussion we learn how crucial an understanding of SME-financing is to policy makers, in light of the fact that SMEs dominate the business landscape in Europe and are the main drivers of employment, growth and innovation in the European economy. Contributing chapters present expert analysis and investigate many topics including the problems faced by SMEs in accessing bank credit and the cost of funding and its determinants. Particular attention is also given to how credit-constrained enterprises may reformulate their funding strategies by employing alternative, non-bank, financial resources, and how regulators could support SMEs in broadening and improving their funding opportunities.