In the United States, we now take our ability to pay with plastic for granted. In other parts of the world, however, the establishment of a "credit-card economy" has not been easy. In countries without a history of economic stability, how can banks decide who should be given a credit card? How do markets convince people to use cards, make their transactions visible to authorities, assume the potential risk of fraud, and pay to use their own money? Why should merchants agree to pay extra if customers use cards instead of cash? In Plastic Money, Akos Rona-Tas and Alya Guseva tell the story of how banks overcame these and other quandaries as they constructed markets for credit cards in eight postcommunist countries. We know how markets work once they are built, but this book develops a unique framework for understanding how markets are engineered from the ground up—by selecting key players, ensuring cooperation, and providing conditions for the valuation of a product. Drawing on extensive interviews and fieldwork, the authors chronicle how banks overcame these hurdles and generated a desire for their new product in the midst of a transition from communism to capitalism.

"Deals with a wide range of topics on personal finance covered in 45 chapters. Explains complex financial tools, products, processes in a simple-to-understand way. Beyond providing an explanation of products and tools, it also provides practical advice on money management"--

'Have you got any ideas on how to make a better banknote?' In the late 1960s, the detection of counterfeit banknotes and the rise of new photographic and copying technologies prompted the Reserve Bank of Australia to explore options for increasing the security of currency. A top-secret research project, undertaken by CSIRO and the Bank, resulted in the development of the world’s first successful polymer banknotes. This technology is now used in over 30 countries. This book describes the story of the Currency Notes Research and Development project from its inception in 1968 through to the release of the $10 Australian bicentennial plastic banknote in 1988. It exemplifies a market-driven project which resulted in advances in science, technology and approaches to commercialisation, and a fundamental change in banknote security.

Plastic money or polymer money, made out of plastic, is a new and easier way of paying for goods and services. Plastic money was introduced in the 1950s and is now an essential form of ready money which reduces the risk of handling a huge amount of cash.

Financial system is the backbone of any economy. During the last few years, India, with its strong financial system, has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Today, with the financial sector experiencing an unprecedented boom due to increasing globalisation, the subject of this book has become more important than ever before. In view of the inevitable importance of financial system globally and in India, the present book provides an up-to-date overview of the Indian financial system and an elaborative discussion on its three inter-woven wings of financial markets, institutions and services. Supported by various teaching aids including cases, projects, objectives and review questions, this is a complete book on the subject which covers conventional as well as contemporary topics, besides cultivating a clear understanding of the basic concepts and practices of the constituents of financial system. Primarily designed for postgraduate and undergraduate students of management and allied disciplines of commerce, finance and economics, it is equally useful to the business managers and corporate leaders who would like to be well versed with the basic concepts and mechanism of financial system for achieving professional and personal growth. KEY FEATURES • Covers, in-depth, three constituents and entire gamut of the Financial System in India—financial markets, financial institutions and financial services. • Comprehends the financial instruments and financial innovations that are taking place in the financial markets, such as barter exchange, plastic money, venture capital, credit rating, and more. • Thoroughly updated with current concepts, corporate practices, recent trends, and current data on the subject. • Provides illustrations, case studies, tables, figures for a vivid visual impact and related concepts to real life situations, and presenting complex topics into pleasurable reading and learning experience. • Comprises graded pedagogy—MCQs with solutions, True/false, Fill in the blanks, Short answer questions, Critical thinking questions and discussion problems at the end of each chapter. • Instructor’s manual and Learning Material for Faculty and Students are available at https://www.phindia.com/financial_markets_institutions_and_services_sandeep_goel. TARGET AUDIENCE • MBA (Finance) • M.Com. / MA (Economics) • M.Sc. (Financial Economics)

The world of money is being transformed as households and organizations face changing economies, and new currencies and payment systems like Bitcoin and Apple Pay gain ground. What is money, and how do we make sense of it? Money Talks is the first book to offer a wide range of alternative and unexpected explanations of how social relations, emotions, moral concerns, and institutions shape how we create, mark, and use money. This collection brings together a stellar group of international experts from multiple disciplines—sociology, economics, history, law, anthropology, political science, and philosophy—to propose fresh explanations for money's origins, uses, effects, and future. Money Talks explores five key questions: How do social relationships, emotions, and morals shape how people account for and use their money? How do corporations infuse social meaning into their financing and investment practices? What are the historical, political, and social foundations of currencies? When does money become contested, and are there things money shouldn't buy? What is the impact of the new twenty-first-century currencies on our social relations? At a time of growing concern over financial inequality, Money Talks overturns conventional views about money by revealing its profound social potential.

From one of the worlds most trusted experts on personal finance comes a "route planner," identifying easy moves to get young people on the road to financial recovery and within reach of their dreams.

Did you know that some societies once used giant rocks for money? Why do some coins have holes in them? Will plastic soon replace paper currency? The history of money closely parallels the history of chemistry, with advances in material science leading to advances in our physical currency. From the earliest examples of money, through the rise of coins, paper, plastic and beyond, with excursions into corrosion and counterfeiting along the way, this book provides a chemist’s eye view into the history of the cash in our pockets. Written in an accessible style that will appeal to the layperson and scientist alike, The Chemistry of Money will be sure to both enlighten and entertain. You will never look at money the same way again!

For ages, money has meant little metal disks and rectangular slips of paper. Yet the usefulness of physical money -- to say nothing of its value -- is coming under fire as never before. Intrigued by the distinct possibility that cash will soon disappear, author and Wired contributing editor David Wolman sets out to investigate the future of money...and how it will affect your wallet. Wolman begins his journey by deciding to shun cash for an entire year -- a surprisingly successful experiment (with a couple of notable exceptions). He then ventures forth to find people and technologies that illuminate the road ahead. In Honolulu, he drinks Mai Tais with Bernard von NotHaus, a convicted counterfeiter and alternative-currency evangelist whom government prosecutors have labeled a domestic terrorist. In Tokyo, he sneaks a peek at the latest anti-counterfeiting wizardry, while puzzling over the fact that banknote forgers depend on society's addiction to cash. In a downtrodden Oregon town, he mingles with obsessive coin collectors -- the people who are supposed to love cash the most, yet don't. And in rural Georgia, he examines why some people feel the end of cash is Armageddon's warm-up act. After stops at the Digital Money Forum in London and Iceland's central bank, Wolman flies to Delhi, where he sees first-hand how cash penalizes the poor more than anyone--and how mobile technologies promise to change that. Told with verve and wit, The End of Money explores an aspect of our daily lives so fundamental that we rarely stop to think about it. You'll never look at a dollar bill the same again.