Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight important factors that influence funding decisions from the perspective of commercial lenders, and suggest commercialization of microfinance as a source of alternative development finance. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of industry...

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to express a point of view concerning recent recommendations to reduce or eliminate the authority of state securities regulators. Design/methodology/approach – The paper cites three recent reports by the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation, McKinsey &...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize and provide commentary on the US Department of Treasury's Blueprint for a Modernized Financial Regulatory Structure, issued on March 31, 2008. Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes and comments on the short‐, intermediate‐,...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to describe the temporary and permanent exemptions issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the large trader identification requirements under Rule 13h‐1. Design/methodology/approach – Specifically, the paper provides: an explanation...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary explanation of “crowdfunding,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, subject to more specific rules that will be issued by the SEC later in 2012. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an...

Purpose To remind sponsors to adopt an attitude of “professional skepticism” in Hong Kong IPOs. Design/methodology/approach Explains the Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”)'s sanction on BOCOM International (Asia) Limited (“BIAL”) as a sign of determination to hold sponsors to...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an algorithm to harvest user specified information on finance portals and compile it into machine‐readable datasets for quantitative analysis. Design/methodology/approach – The Visual Basic macro language in Microsoft Excel is applied to...

Striving to shorten the time‐period necessary for the huge transfer of the property needed by the ongoing economic reforms, Bulgaria developed a mass privatisation scheme (MPS). Based on specific financial intermediaries called privatisation funds (PF) that scheme encounters a major problem...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of the recent financial crisis and the need for prudential management and effective supervisory and regulatory measures in ensuring the stability and integrity of the financial sector, especially financial institutions, such as...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly new developments in Hong Kong’s (HK) Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, both in terms of case law and legislation. Design/methodology/approach In terms of case law, the author discusses two decisions given by HK’s Court of Final Appeal...