Currency Issues
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6 pages discussing the methods by which governments have the ability to control the values of their currencies. The 'trick' is that manipulation of the nation's currency simply must be thoughtful and based on real-world conditions rather than wishful thinking. Those nations that have favored absolute and total control of their currencies and their economies have been the poorest of the world, but the other side of the same coin is no better. Much of Japan's economy is on the verge of collapse , and much of the blame can be pointed at the failure to exercise enough control. Middle ground is a magical place, and it appears that we have had the good fortune of residing there for the past several years. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Currencyj.doc

Interest Rate Policy Of The Bank of Japan
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12 pages in length. Until the 1980's, the Bank of Japan had an active role in implementing government-directed fiscal policy, but as the economy stabilized and seemed to be completely self-sustaining, regulatory influences were increasingly withdrawn. Today, the Bank of Japan is charged mainly with establishing and maintaining interest rates. In that respect, it is comparable to our Federal Reserve. Years of questionable business finance practices have been catching up to Japan faster than Japan can catch up to the consequences. The Bank of Japan's role has been to keep interest rates artificially low in an attempt to aid commercial banks on the verge of failure, but those interest rates being at such low levels is having other and far-reaching implications for the Japanese economy. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: Bankjap.wps

Consumer Credit – What It Is and How It Works
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This 15 page report discusses consumer credit -- its use, its availability, its purpose and function. Establishing a credit record is a simple enough process and is a fundamental aspect of most Americans’ lives but understanding the process of how credit actually works is far more complicated than opening a checking or savings account. This report address issues relating to personal credit such as credit card issuance and terms, consumer debt, and personal money management. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: BWcredit.rtf

Citigroup Inc.
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This 11 page paper investigates Citigroup Inc, the name that emerged from the merger between Citicorp and Travelers. Sections include: a general overview of the banking industry, historical overview of Citicorp, the Board of Directors, major top executives of the new corporation, subsidiaries, a narrative describing the co-CEOs of this megacorporation, and the stock share prices for the first week of each month during 1998. Citicorp was already one of the world's largest credit card companies and Travelers Group was one of the largest insurance companies. Together they have formed one of the world's largest financial services company. The 'marriage,' which included the two CEOs to jointly lead the new corporation has not been without problems. Due to changes recently made, they may now be on the way, however, to a much smoother operation as well as to greater profits. 1 illustration. Bibliography lists 11 sources.
Filename: PGciti.rtf

The Canadian Housing Market
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A 7 page research paper on the real estate market in Canada. Issues concerning property specs, mortgages, and the general economy are discussed. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Canadaho.wps

Banking on the Internet
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Some people choose a banking facility based on proximity to their home or employment. Others shop for the best rates, the most services or the availability of incentives. An option that is gaining popularity in this, the computer age, is banking and paying bills through the Internet. Financial transactions such as checking, savings, credit cards, debt payment and investments are possible to transact with a simple 'click', while sitting at the computer. Most of the major banks and many of the small community banks have opted to begin doing business through the Internet. This 10 page paper examines Internet banking from the perspective of the banking industry and also the customer. There's a section detailing how to become an Internet bank customer and what are the advantages and problems. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: KTwebbank.wps

BANK OF AMERICA AND THE PORTER MODEL
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This 6-page paper examines Bank of American and the banking industry and determines how these two fit into Michael Porter's generic competition model. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: MTbaofam.rtf

History of Central Banking
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AThis 38 page paper considers how central banks developed and their original purpose. The general history and development is examined through the use of a case study which examines the creation of the Bank of England. The original purpose of central banks were as bankers to the government, with a principle task of funding wars. The responsibilities such as printing legal tender, monetary stability and lender of last resort all emerge following the success as a funding source for war. An initial benefit of a central bank was also the creation of a credit economy, allowing economic growth to take place at an unprecedented rate. The looks at the development of the Bank of England and tools used such as the Gold Standard and then applies the lessons to more recent central bank developments such as the creation and success of the Bundesbank, looking for commonalities that may be indicators of success. This is then applied to the current position of the European Central Bank, (ECB) in order to assess how successful the ECB will be in the future. The bibliography cites 59 sources.
Filename: TEcentralbank.rtf

“Gulf Oil Case Study”
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A five page paper which looks at the takeover bid for Gulf Oil by Mesa in 1984 and the ways in which the attack was handled, in terms of the strategies employed by both Mesa and Gulf, and the possible reasons why Chevron’s bid was ultimately accepted in preference to that of Boone Pickens and Mesa. Bibliography lists 1 source
Filename: JLgulfoil.doc

“The Bank Powers Bill”
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A paper which looks at the way in which the 1999 Bank Powers Bill (the Gramm/Leach/Blyley Bill) addressed the issue of insurance underwriting and related matters in terms of the discrepancy between national and state banks, and attempted to redress the inequalities and discrepancies between the two.
Filename: JLbankpowers.wps

“The History of Lloyd’s of London”
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A five page paper which traces the history of Lloyd’s of London from its origins in Lloyd’s Coffee House in the seventeenth century to the present day, including its expansion from maritime to other forms of insurance, its establishment as a global financial institution, and the effect of the severe losses which it suffered in the late 1980s. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: JLlloyds.wps

“The House of Morgan” by Ron Chernow
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A 5 page analysis of Ron Chernow’s “The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance.” No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAmorgan.rtf

“The Long-Run Performance of Firms Following Loan Announcements”
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A 5 page paper which examines the fundamental elements of “The Long-Run Performance of Firms Following Loan Announcements” by Matthew T. Billett, Mark J. Flannery; and Jon A Garfinkel. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAlngrun.rtf

"The Banks: The Ongoing Battle for Control of Canada's Richest Business": A Review of the 1999 Book By Les Whittington:
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A 10 page overview of the book by financial journalist Les Whittington. Describes Whittington's exceptional ability to gather and regurgitate economic facts in a readable and extremely informative manner. Concentrates on the infrastructure of Canadian banks and the recent proposals for mergers. Details Whittington's concerns over these mergers, concerns which were evident as well in the governmental and public response to the proposals. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPwhitng.wps

(The) Exchange Rate Regime
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A 15 page paper discussing issues concerning trade and the exchange rate regime in a rapidly-changing post-Communist world. Various sub-issues such as the effects of exchange rate-fixing are examined in depth. This research paper is significantly more complex than excrate2.wps (above) and should only be considered by those knowledgeable of advanced economics/finance issues. Bibliography lists 27 sources.
Filename: Excrater.wps