Financial Institutions And Its Impact On Economic Growth And General Welfare

The other financial intermediaries include insurance companies, mutual funds and pension funds. In Japan, banks provide more financing than other financial intermediaries do. In the U.K., other financial intermediaries provide substantially more financing. In the U.S., banks are less important sources of financing compared to financial intermediaries. While in Europe, financing provided by banks and financing provided by other financial intermediaries are approximately equal.

There are various categories of banking; these include retail banking, directly dealing with small businesses and persons. Commercial and Corporate banking which offers services to medium and large businesses (Koch & MacDonald 2010). Private banking, deals with individuals, offering them one on one service. The last category is investment banking. These help clients to raise capital and often invest in financial markets. Most global banking institutions provide all these services combined. With all these institutions in existence within the same localities and offering similar services, there is a need to regulate the industry so as to protect the consumer and provide fair working environment for all banks (Du & Girma, 2011).

In this case study, Vancity’s CEO, Vrooman, is faced with making the tough decision of deciding if her organization is in a position to reprice its line of credit offerings, in order to stay afloat and competitive, and at the same time, not loose the trust of its customers, who also happens to be the owners. Furthermore, the study showcases how Vancity’s innovative value to adapt to the changing needs in their community gives them a competitive advantage amongst other financial institution. This case is important as it explains tough decisions that top executives and organizations as a whole, are often faced with making, in order to stay competitive and profitable. It also discusses the financial impacts of the recession in the late 2000s on the Canadian economy, particularly the financial industry. This paper will begin with an introduction to this case, discussing the financial industry, and its impact on the Canadian economy, also to be accompanied with some background information on the case study. This will be followed with an analysis of the case study and I will then determine possible decisions that could be taken, and the merits/drawbacks of each decision. At this point, I will elaborate on what decision I think would be ideal and provide the best outcome of benefitting both the organization and its customers.

1. A financial intermediary is a corporation that takes funds from investors and then provides those funds to those who need capital. A bank that takes in demand deposits and then uses that money to make long-term mortgage loans is one example of a financial intermediary.

Please summarise a recent event or development relating to local, regional or global activity that impacts our Investment Banking business. (150 words) *

Recent studies have investigated the impact of the 2007-2009 financial crises on banks’ capital. Berger and Bouwman (2011) emphasised the importance of capital during financial crisis. Their empirical study concludes that banks with solid capital base have some benefits during the crisis than those that are poorly capitalised. Well capitalised banks are more able to withstand the shocks due to liquidity squeeze, and therefore had higher chances of surviving the crisis period. Other benefits accrued to well capitalised banks include increase in their market share and profitability, as customers withdrew their funds from less capitalised to a well-capitalised banks. This conclusion was also reinforced by a recent empirical study conducted Olivier de Bandt et al (2014) on a sample of large French banks over a period of 1993 – 2012. Similarly, Gambacorta and Marques-Ibanez (2011) demonstrate the existence of structural changes during the period of financial crisis. They conclude that banks with weaker core capital positions, greater dependence on market funding and on non-interest sources of income restricted the loan supply more strongly during the crisis period. Using a multi-country panel of banks, Demirgüç-Kunt, Detragiache and Merrouche (2010) find among others results, that during

The investment banks, and subsequent stock brokerage firms, was regulated by the Security and Exchange Commission. The banking entities, in this portion of the financial sector, were used to dealing in high risk business that were structured on the business’ equity and debt capital, instead of the commercial banks’ deposits of customers. The activities in this sector of the financial system were underwriting stocks and bonds, insurance markets, the investments in subprime debt markets and mortgages.

It can fairly be said that an Investor considering an investment decision (whether to purchase, sell or hold stock) in publicly traded company acts on the basis of extensive information which is available by corporation to him until the last moment of his investing decision and try to determine the fair price of corporate stock. In the light of continuous creation of a particular impression of corporate affairs by the corporation, new information by corporate can vanish the importance of previous available information to investor. In the scenario only one kind of investors can get advantage over others, who is either very close to corporate operation (corporate officers) or can access nonpublic price-sensitive information to corporation

A: Most investments in the economy would fail to take place if there were no financial institutions because many independent investors do not like to take large amounts of risk. By utilizing financial intermediaries, which are “organizations that receive funds from savers and channel them to investors,” people are given peace of mind in knowing that their source of money/investing is more stable and accounted for. Those who apply this principle also value the liquidity, or convertibility, that financial institutions provide in the case of emergency or cold feet.

In his book, Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street, Peter L. Bernstein examines the innovative financial work of various academics that helped shape modern Wall Street. Bernstein sets out to show that Wall Street is in fact a fundamental and useful model to follow, rather than something to be feared. He points out that, “By combining the linkage between risk and reward with the combative nature of the free market, these academics brought new insights into what Wall Street is all about and devised new methods for investors to manage their capital.” (2) These impressive scholars have incorporated scientific measurement to the art of finance, forever

Reports by Fry (1997) suggests that measuring financial distortions with black market exchange premiums rates and real interest rates squared lowers investment ratios eventually leading to a reduction in growth output. In the same vein, Roubini and Sala-i-Martin (1992) also revealed that financial repression is negatively related to growth while controlling other growth determinants; hence interest rates (bank-reserve requirements) correlates inversely with growth.

There is a growing realization that, along with government aid and charitable philanthropy, financial institutions can help to solve some of the world’s social problems. Over the past decade there has been significant growth in socially responsible investing. Just as the formation of the venture capital industry ushered a new approach to funding the private sector, impact investing is attempted to harness the finance industry to bring social improvements. Ideally, impact investments would deliver something good for humanity while generating a financial return with limited downside risk. As socially responsible investing continues to grow, investors have begun to gravitate to companies and assets that hold similar values to themselves. This can include investments towards climate change, alleviating poverty, increasing education or anything that progresses social strides. Traditionally, responsible investing avoided stocks which promoted vices such as tobacco and alcohol. However, as the industry has evolved, financial institutions have created funds which now actively promote and track sustainable practices.

This thesis investigates the long-run causality direction between financial markets development and economic growth in Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and China for varying time periods using VAR models and Granger Causality methods. It also explores the interrelationships between variables using the Impulse Response Function. Financial industry consists of two main parts; debt and equity (Krugman and Obstfeld, 2009). These are also called debt and equity markets. Credit markets which are primarily consisted of banks are assumed to provide lending and saving channels for potential individual, private and public investors. Stock markets are the other crucial part of the financial system. These capital markets provide equity and direct form of

List of abbreviations List of tables Acknowledgements Abstract 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Introduction Problem statement Objectives and hypothesis of the study Literature review Structure and performance of the financial sector in

Financial intermediaries provide a number of functions. The first of which is known as size transformation. A financial intermediary is able to borrow to an economic agent with a deficit of funds the amount they require without the need to find a lender that is willing to invest the exact amount required by the borrower. Without financial intermediaries, it would be extremely difficult for a borrower to raise capital as lenders would have to pool their funds together in order to lend the borrower the amount they require. Another function of financial intermediaries is maturity transformation. Economic agents with surplus funds usually prefer investing their money in short-term projects, whereas borrowers require more long-term financing. Financial intermediaries offer an optimal solution, without which borrowers and lenders would be in disagreement over the terms of the transfer of funds. Financial intermediaries also provide risk transformation. Economic agents with surplus funds are usually very risk conscious when it comes to investment, but borrowers however may require the finance for a more risky project, that may be more profitable. Financial intermediaries are willing to take risks that borrowers usually would not. However, there is usually a compensation agreement so as to avoid