"The last 30 years have been dramatic for the financial services industry. In the1990s and 2000s, boundaries between the traditional industry sectors, such as commercial banking and investment banking, broke down and competition became increasingly global in nature. Many forces contributed to this breakdown in interindustry and intercountry barriers, including financial innovation, technology, taxation, and regulation. Then in 2008-2009, the financial services industry experienced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Even into the mid-2010s, the U.S. and world economies have not recovered from this crisis. It is in this context that this book is written.

As the economic and competitive environments change, attention to profit and, more than ever, risk become increasingly important. This book offers a unique analysis of the risks faced by investors and savers interacting through both financial institutions and financial markets, as well as strategies that can be adopted for controlling and better managing these risks. Special emphasis is also put on new areas of operations in financial markets and institutions such as asset securitization, off-balance-sheet activities, and globalization of financial services"--.