Originally published in 1985, this book provided a broad review of the range of systems of housing finance used throughout the developed and developing world at the time. It surveys the development of housing finance and the ways in which individual countries, with different economic structures, have coped with the problems of housing finance in periods of severe inflation and fluctuating interest rates.The book opens with two theoretical chapters covering housing finance in develo...

Beginning with a theoretical analysis of housing finance in the context of housing markets and financial intermediation generally, the authors then analyse, drawing on international experience, each of the main types of housing finance system: informal, deposit taking, contract and mortgage bank. Various aspects of the market are covered using examples drawn from the UK and elsewhere, including the regulatory framework, contemporary developments and securitization and secondary markets. Cr...

In this book which has become the standard work on building societies, the author takes into account both economic and regulatory changes which took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s.The book is aimed primarily at students in the industry, and also those undertaking relevant undergraduate and postgraduate courses at university. In addition, this book will be invaluable to those working inside the building society industry and to those organizations which come into contact wit...

Where Does Money Come From? reveals how, contrary to public perception, the bulk of today's money supply is created and allocated by commercial banks in their role as providers of credit. The authors argue that this system is inherently unstable, with little effective regulation of how much credit is provided, or whether it is used for productive or speculative purposes. Based on detailed research and consultation with experts, including from the Bank of England, Where Does Mo...

Mandatory pensions are a worldwide phenomenon. However, with fixed contribution rates, monthly benefits, and retirement ages, pension systems are not consistent with three long-run trends: declining mortality, declining fertility, and earlier retirement. Many systems need reform. This book gives an extensive nontechnical explanation of the economics of pension design. The theoretical arguments have three elements: * Pension systems have multiple objectives--consumption smoothing, insurance...

The world has changed a lot in the last thirty years, but New Zealand’s tax system hasn’t. Since the 1980s New Zealand’s taxation policy has remained the same, despite substantial economic and social changes. The system may be familiar, but is it fair?Deborah Russell and Terry Baucher’s lively analysis shows why answers to this question cut to the heart of whether New Zealand can be considered an egalitarian country. Drawing on the latest evidence and using plain language, they exp...

The movement away from traditional rented approaches to meeting the housing needs of those on modest incomes has taken on new momentum in the latest economic cycle.This book answers some of the questions around affordable housing and low cost home ownership, and whether these intermediate tenures have the potential to play a longer term role in achieving sustainable housing markets.The editors clarify the principles on which the development of affordable housing and interme...

George Buckley & Sumeet Desai: What You Need To Know About EconomicsEconomics Matters. But with confusing things like GDP and interest rates, it's often hard to get you head around.So What do you really need to know about economics? Find out:What economic growth is and why it mattersHow inflation happensHow jobs are created and lostHow the property market worksWhat central banks...

A clear, authoritative guide to the crisis of 2008, its continuing repercussions, and the needed reforms ahead.The U.S. economy lost the first decade of the twenty-first century to an ill-conceived boom and subsequent bust. It is in danger of losing another decade to the stagnation of an incomplete recovery. How did this happen? Read this lucid explanation of the origins and long-term effects of the recent financial crisis, drawn in historical and comparative persp...

Winner of the Richard A. Lester Award for the Outstanding Book in Industrial Relations and Labor Economics, Princeton UniversityAn Economist Best Economics and Business Book of the YearA Financial Times Best Economics Book of the YearInequality is one of our most urgent social problems. Curbed in the decades after World War II, it has recently returned with a vengeance. We all know the scale of the...

Since attaining independence in 1965 Singapore has experienced exceptionally rapid growth, low inflation, and a healthy balance of payments. This paper reviews Singapore's economic development from a long-term perspective and examines some of the factors that have contributed to the sustained rapid growth

The vast majority of Canadians are blissfully unaware that every man, woman and child in Canada now owes a $35,000 share of government debt and must pay this back, with interest! Make no mistake, this debt will change our country and affect every single Canadian in the decades to come. You may think you have planned for your retirement and are safe, but the government must find a way to recover this borrowed money, and they can only do that by raising your taxes and reducing your hard-earn...