The aftermath of the 2008 crisis has substantially increased the regulation of banks and insurance companies and curtailed their risk taking, which has shifted much of the risk to their clients: firms and consumers. At the same time, digitalization has encouraged the entry of new firms combining finance and technological innovation, a phenomenon known as FinTech. The emergence of non-bank financial entities has contributed to the fragmentation of financial services, and also opened up new markets. Furthermore, the growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility has made it increasingly important for financial organizations to care about their public image. Drawing together these diverse strands, this book examines how the financial sector is evolving and how the existing actors are adapting to the institutional change and to the challenges from new actors and competitors. It also addresses the issue of how financial organizations are providing fixes to the challenges at the systemic level and how a healthier, more diverse and socially responsible financial sector is beneficial to the operations of the market economy as a whole. While there are books that address each of these issues, and also books that look at organizational diversity, there are few that investigate their interconnectedness. Responsible Finance and Digitalization offers a topical overview of the changes that are taking place in the financial sector and how the financial sector itself can contribute to solving global challenges. It equips both students (at MBA and other levels) and practitioners with analytical tools to reflect on this change and to take appropriate action to ensure that their organization can successfully navigate it and create value.

A growing body of evidence suggests that financial literacy plays an important role in financial well-being, and that differences in financial knowledge acquired early in life can explain a significant part of financial and more general well-being in adult life. Financial technology (FinTech) is revolutionizing the financial services industry at an unrivalled pace. Views differ regarding the impact that FinTech is likely to have on personal financial planning, well-being and societal welfare. In an era of mounting student debt, increased (digital) financial inclusion and threats arising from instances of (online) financial fraud, financial education and enlightened financial advising are appropriate policy interventions that enhance financial and overall well-being. Financial Literacy and Responsible Finance in the FinTech Era: Capabilities and Challenges engages in this important academic and policy agenda by presenting a set of seven chapters emanating from four parallel streams of literature related to financial literacy and responsible finance. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The European Journal of Finance.

This book highlights the opportunities and risks of digitalization and digital transformation for our global economy at both the micro and macro level. Experts from various fields, presenting both scientific and practice-oriented perspectives, identify and critically analyse areas of tension and development potential in connection with new business models and sustainability efforts in our society. It is divided into four parts, the first of which highlights new technological advances in areas such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies and fintechs, and discusses the challenges they pose for public regulation. The second part illustrates digitalization’s effects on and potential advantages for public welfare, focusing on key areas such as education, health and smart cities. The third part focuses on challenges for corporate and public management, particularly for leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, while the fourth part discusses new dimensions for analysis based on big data. The contributions gathered here are partly an outcome of the International Conference on Digitalization, Digital Transformation and Sustainability held in Budapest in October 2020 and generously supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Global finance is in the middle of a radical transformation fueled by innovative financial technologies. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the digitization of retail financial services in Europe. Institutional interest and digital asset markets are also growing blurring the boundaries between the token economy and traditional finance. Blockchain, AI, quantum computing and decentralised finance (DeFI) are setting the stage for a global battle of business models and philosophies. The post-Brexit EU cannot afford to ignore the promise of digital finance. But the Union is struggling to keep pace with global innovation hubs, particularly when it comes to experimenting with new digital forms of capital raising. Calibrating the EU digital finance strategy is a balancing act that requires a deep understanding of the factors driving the transformation, be they legal, cultural, political or economic, as well as their many implications. The same FinTech inventions that use AI, machine learning and big data to facilitate access to credit may also establish invisible barriers that further social, racial and religious exclusion. The way digital finance actors source, use, and record information presents countless consumer protection concerns. The EU’s strategic response has been years in the making and, finally, in September 2020 the Commission released a Digital Finance Package. This special issue collects contributions from leading scholars who scrutinize the challenges digital finance presents for the EU internal market and financial market regulation from multiple public policy perspectives. Author contributions adopt a critical yet constructive and solutions-oriented approach. They aim to provide policy-relevant research and ideas shedding light on the complexities of the digital finance promise. They also offer solid proposals for reform of EU financial services law.

This paper discusses the impact of the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the financial sector. It highlights the benefits these technologies bring in terms of financial deepening and efficiency, while raising concerns about its potential in widening the digital divide between advanced and developing economies. The paper advances the discussion on the impact of this technology by distilling and categorizing the unique risks that it could pose to the integrity and stability of the financial system, policy challenges, and potential regulatory approaches. The evolving nature of this technology and its application in finance means that the full extent of its strengths and weaknesses is yet to be fully understood. Given the risk of unexpected pitfalls, countries will need to strengthen prudential oversight.

The book is a collection of chapters discussing the Sustainable Development Goals in the broader context of Islamic finance along with mapping the SDGs with Maqasid Al-Shariah. It provides a framework for both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to develop a sustainable economy which encompasses not only the concept of the welfare state but also supports development-related activities, ensures financial inclusion through equal distribution of wealth and alleviation of poverty, and protects the overall environmental and ecological system. More specifically, this book explores various aspects of Islamic finance in relation to parameters of SDGs; restructuring of Islamic finance and connecting its dots in the light of SDGs; Islamic perspective on ESG and ecological quality; interest-free tools and modernization of Islamic financial institutions for sustainable development and economic stability; and the role of Islamic finance in infrastructure-related development activities. Consistent with the view that SDGs are embedded within the theme of Islamic finance, this book is specifically designed to meet the needs of key regulatory institutions, academic scholars, and industry practitioners both in the field of Islamic finance and sustainable finance.​

This book analyses and discusses current issues and trends in finance with a special focus on technological developments and innovations. The book presents an overview of the classical and traditional approaches of financial management in companies and discusses its key strategic role in corporate performance. Furthermore, the volume illustrates how the emerging technological innovations will shape the theory and practice of financial management, focusing especially on the decentralized financial ecosystems that blockchain and its related technologies allow.

This edition of the OECD Sovereign Borrowing Outlook reviews developments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for government borrowing needs, funding conditions and funding strategies in the OECD area.

A survival guide for the FinTech era of banking FinTech Innovation examines the rise of financial technology and its growing impact on the global banking industry. Wealth managers are standing at the epicenter of a tectonic shift, as the balance of power between offering and demand undergoes a dramatic upheaval. Regulators are pushing toward a 'constrained offering' norm while private clients and independent advisors demand a more proactive role; practitioners need examine this banking evolution in detail to understand the mechanisms at work. This book presents analysis of the current shift and offers clear insight into what happens when established economic interests collide with social transformation. Business models are changing in profound ways, and the impact reaches further than many expect; the democratization of banking is revolutionizing the wealth management industry toward more efficient and client-centric advisory processes, and keeping pace with these changes has become a survival skill for financial advisors around the world. Social media, big data analytics and digital technology are disrupting the banking industry, which many have taken for granted as set in stone. This book shatters that assumption by illustrating the massive changes already underway, and provides thought leader insight into the changes yet to come. Examine the depth and breadth of financial technology Learn how regulations are driving changing business models Discover why investors may become the price-makers Understand the forces at work behind the rise of FinTech Information asymmetry has dominated the banking industry for centuries, keeping the bank/investor liability neatly aligned—but this is changing, and understanding and preparing for the repercussions must be a top priority for wealth managers everywhere. Financial Innovation shows you where the bar is being re-set and gives you the insight you need to keep up.

A cutting-edge look at how accelerating financial change, from the end of cash to the rise of cryptocurrencies, will transform economies for better and worse. We think weÕve seen financial innovation. We bank from laptops and buy coffee with the wave of a phone. But these are minor miracles compared with the dizzying experiments now underway around the globe, as businesses and governments alike embrace the possibilities of new financial technologies. As Eswar Prasad explains, the world of finance is at the threshold of major disruption that will affect corporations, bankers, states, and indeed all of us. The transformation of money will fundamentally rewrite how ordinary people live. Above all, Prasad foresees the end of physical cash. The driving force wonÕt be phones or credit cards but rather central banks, spurred by the emergence of cryptocurrencies to develop their own, more stable digital currencies. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies themselves will evolve unpredictably as global corporations like Facebook and Amazon join the game. The changes will be accompanied by snowballing innovations that are reshaping finance and have already begun to revolutionize how we invest, trade, insure, and manage risk. Prasad shows how these and other changes will redefine the very concept of money, unbundling its traditional functions as a unit of account, medium of exchange, and store of value. The promise lies in greater efficiency and flexibility, increased sensitivity to the needs of diverse consumers, and improved market access for the unbanked. The risk is instability, lack of accountability, and erosion of privacy. A lucid, visionary work, The Future of Money shows how to maximize the best and guard against the worst of what is to come.