Promoting a comparative perspective, this comprehensive Research Handbook aids in the understanding of alternative finance and its values in a global setting. Readers are encouraged to view alternative finance through the lens of economic mechanisms rather than terminology.

The alternative financing space has grown exponentially in the last few decades, namely as a consequence of the financial crisis, technological advancement, niche customer segments, and more recently the pandemic. Now, with the inclusion of Fintech, online lenders, crowdfunding, accelerators, venture capitalists, or angel investors, this funding channel is no longer seen as a substitute for formal financing, but rather a core one. This book is a comprehensive guide to alternative financing methods, offering insights into emerging trends, the role of FinTech, and the intersection of finance with sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It fills a knowledge gap by exploring innovative financing channels such as fintech, green finance, and venture capital as well as other non-traditional ways of raising funds, which have become crucial for startups and businesses. It discusses the impact of financial technology (FinTech) on these methods and their function in supporting entrepreneurship and sustainable business, while also examining the implications of these technological advancements in the wider financial sector. It addresses challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs and explores how alternative financing options can support growth and innovation, particularly in the context of environmentally and socially focused ventures, including how to integrate economic, social, and environmental considerations. The emphasis on sustainability and green finance aligns with the growing global concern for responsible business practices and the Sustainable Development Goals. While the primary audience for the book is scholars, researchers, and students, the inclusion of case studies, and the exploration of various financing options, extends practical cues for policymakers and practitioners and contributes to the understanding of how finance, entrepreneurship, and sustainability intersect in real-world business scenarios.

The first and only book to systematically address methodologies and processes of leveraging non-traditional information sources in the context of investing and risk management Harnessing non-traditional data sources to generate alpha, analyze markets, and forecast risk is a subject of intense interest for financial professionals. A growing number of regularly-held conferences on alternative data are being established, complemented by an upsurge in new papers on the subject. Alternative data is starting to be steadily incorporated by conventional institutional investors and risk managers throughout the financial world. Methodologies to analyze and extract value from alternative data, guidance on how to source data and integrate data flows within existing systems is currently not treated in literature. Filling this significant gap in knowledge, The Book of Alternative Data is the first and only book to offer a coherent, systematic treatment of the subject. This groundbreaking volume provides readers with a roadmap for navigating the complexities of an array of alternative data sources, and delivers the appropriate techniques to analyze them. The authors—leading experts in financial modeling, machine learning, and quantitative research and analytics—employ a step-by-step approach to guide readers through the dense jungle of generated data. A first-of-its kind treatment of alternative data types, sources, and methodologies, this innovative book: Provides an integrated modeling approach to extract value from multiple types of datasets Treats the processes needed to make alternative data signals operational Helps investors and risk managers rethink how they engage with alternative datasets Features practical use case studies in many different financial markets and real-world techniques Describes how to avoid potential pitfalls and missteps in starting the alternative data journey Explains how to integrate information from different datasets to maximize informational value The Book of Alternative Data is an indispensable resource for anyone wishing to analyze or monetize different non-traditional datasets, including Chief Investment Officers, Chief Risk Officers, risk professionals, investment professionals, traders, economists, and machine learning developers and users.

What monetary system best serves society? The current system of pure government fiat monies, managed by discretionary central banks, is inefficient and unstable. Monetary Alternatives explores fundamental and controversial ideas that move our monetary system and economy beyond repeated crises to sustainable stability and prosperity. The contributors to this volume energetically question the status quo and provide compelling arguments for moving to a monetary system based on freedom and the rule of law.

The purpose of this book is to present the principles of alternative investments in management. The individual chapters provide a detailed analysis of various classes of alternative investments on the financial market. Despite many different definitions of alternative investments, it can be assumed that a classical approach to alternative investments includes hedge funds, fund of funds (FOF), managed accounts, structured products and private equity/venture capital. Alternative investment in keeping with this broad definition is the subject of consideration here. The theoretical part of each chapter is meant to collect, systematize and deepen readers’ understanding of a given investment category, while the practical part of each focuses on an analysis of the current state of development of alternative investments on the global market and outlines the prospects of future market development. This book will be a valuable tool for scholars, practitioners and policy-makers alike.

Economics is an integral aspect to every successful society, yet basic financial practices have gone unchanged for decades. Analyzing unconventional finance methods can provide new ways to ensure personal financial futures on an individual level, as well as boosting international economies. Alternative Decision-Making Models for Financial Portfolio Management: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an essential reference source that discusses methods and techniques that make financial administration more efficient for professionals in economic fields. Featuring relevant topics such as mean-variance portfolio theory, decision tree analysis, risk protection strategies, and asset-liability management, this publication is ideal for academicians, students, economists, and researchers that would like to stay current on new and innovative methods to transform the financial realm.

Expert contributors offer an unparalleled perspective on the contemporary alternative funds industry, the main areas of regulatory policy concern surrounding its activities, and the role that alternative funds have played in recent financial crises, as well as an account of the rules governing their operation in selected jurisdictions.

This monograph provides a comprehensive source of analysis and research on alternative investments in the wealth management process, with a special focus on Poland and Eastern Europe. It presents the characteristics that distinguish alternative investments from traditional investments and illustrates the benefits and risks involved in the former. The experience gained in developed countries is extremely valuable for the analysis of both the Polish and Eastern European financial markets. In the theoretical part of the book, key aspects of alternative investments are collected, systematized and developed; subsequently, in the empirical part the results of selected studies on the alternative investment sector around the world are examined. Lastly, the book’s findings are applied to the context of alternative financial investments in Poland, investigating the preferences for alternative investments in the country, which is the largest market in Central and Eastern Europe. Not only of theoretical interest, these insights have a high application value, making the book an essential resource for scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 9.0, Maastricht University (SBE), course: Intermediate Financial Management (IFM), language: English, abstract: Boudoir’s, Inc. is a profitable, growing company but has exhausted nearly all sources of financing, because they already pledged most of their assets as collateral to support growth. Theory assumes a match of the predicted assets useful life and its financing. Therefore a leasing agreement, especially taking into consideration the low amount, matches the cost of the asset with the corresponding cash flows produced by the asset. Furthermore, financing the new building and the fixtures for the new outlet with a leasing agreement provides an additional benefit because leasing agreements do not appear on the balance sheet of a company. In addition, lease payments are deducted....