Asset management is a major industry playing an increasingly important role in economic activity around the world. Traditionally, it has been primarily associated with the 'stock market' economies of the UK and the USA, but as this book shows some of the most spectacular growth in activity of recent years has occurred in continental Europe. This has presented opportunities and challenges. New forms of financial instruments and institutions have emerged in countries that have traditionally relied on debt and non-market forms of intermediation. Competition has intensified and entry has occurred...

Scandals in financial institutions, weakness in the world economy, and volatility in financial markets bring to the fore front issues of regulation and consumer protection. This comparative survey of how investors are currently protected in a range of countries in Europe and the United States is set in an accessible and theoretical framework. It will be invaluable for academics and students involved in the analysis of financial markets and regulation as well as practitioners in financial institutions and regulatory authorities.