In this fifth article in the Economists’ Hubris series, we investigate the practical applications of eight papers that won best-article awards in 2008 and 2009 from the Journal of Finance or the Journal of Financial Economics, the two leading journals in finance. We find that these articles...

This paper provides a taxonomy of market imperfections built around the economic forces underlying them. Market imperfections affect virtually every transaction in some way, generating costs which interfere with trades that rational individuals make, or would make in the absence of the...

The risk of compliance comes from the failure to comply with laws, regulations, rules, self-regulatory standards, and codes of conduct. This article focuses on the evolving scenario of the compliance function within banks, investment and insurance companies operating in Italy. We developed four...

This paper examines the results of a survey carried out in 2007 by the Bank of Italy concerning different characteristics of the organization of lending activities. Between 2003 and 2006 the physical distance between the headquarters and the branches increased, the limits to the decision-making...

The emergence of cloud banking in developing economies from billions of cell phones transacting both legal tender and informal units of accounts has created a need to reconsider habits of thinking about the nature of money and banking in advanced societies. The dysfunctional nature of modern...

In this, the third paper in the Economists’ Hubris series, we highlight the shortcomings of academic thought in developing models that can be used by financial institutions to institute effective enterprise-wide risk management systems and policies. We find that pretty much all of the models...

An understanding of strategic network management and its impact on the sources of competitive advantage for financial institutions is becoming increasingly important as the traditional boundaries for products, firms, and industry sub-divisions change. The repeal of the Glass Steagall Act in the...

Delivering service improvements in sync with customer demand is an established way of life in the fast-paced sector of securities services. Strong user governance of service providers further ensures that they produce what their clients want, at the right price. However, our business is becoming...

The institutional arrangements for trading and settling securities in Europe remain fragmented along national lines, making cross-border trading costly. Consolidation efforts are under way, however, and major market centers have now emerged in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Although...

Some effects of e-Commerce, and their implications for financial services firms, are becoming clear. The web drives transparency, and increases the information endowment of all market participants. It is harder to manipulate customers’ behavior, or to overcharge them, as their information...