This is a book in search of an alternative to the discredited investor-owned banks that have brought the rich countries into crisis and the world economy into a long period of austerity. It finds customer-owned banks – credit unions, co-operative banks, building societies – have hardly been...

This book offers a comparative analysis of how post-crisis restructuring has affected the evolution and prospects of small, locally-oriented banks. The discussion focuses specifically on “small” European countries; that is, countries with diversified banking systems, with a strong presence...