Since 2005, when the first edition of this textbook was published, the world of financial investment has experienced an unprecedented boom followed by a spectacular bust. Significant changes have been proposed and, in some cases, implemented in areas such as the structure of regulation, the organization of markets, supervision of market participants, and the protection of consumers. This second edition takes account of these developments, integrating them into an analytical framework that enables the reader to develop a critical overview of the role of general legal rules and specialized...