The aim of this book is to bring academic work on contemporary issues in financial institutions and markets. The general theme is designed to allow for a wide range of topics covering the diverse nature of academic research in banking and finance. As a consequence the contributions cover a wide range of issues across a broad spectrum, including: bank business models, bank competition and stability, credit card pricing and risk; bank supervision; and international investments. This book was originally published as a special issue of The European Journal of Finance.

Barbara Casu is currently Director of the Centre for Banking Research at Cass Business School, City University London, UK, where she is Associate Professor of Banking. Her research interests are in the area of banking, financial regulation, corporate governance and industrial organisation. Barbara has published numerous articles in international journals including the Review of Economics & Statistics, Journal of Money, Credit & Banking and the Journal of Banking & Finance.

Daniela Fabbri is Associate Professor in the Finance Department at Cass Business School, City University London, UK. Her research interests are in the areas of Corporate Finance and Banking, both theoretical and applied. Daniela has published several papers in leading finance journals as the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of the European Economic Association, Journal of Corporate Finance, and the Journal of Banking & Finance.

John Wilson is Professor of Banking & Finance and Director for the Centre for Responsible Banking & Finance at the University of St Andrews, UK. His research focuses on the areas of Industrial Organization, Banking and Credit Unions. He has published over 50 refereed journal articles in outlets including Journal of Money Credit & Banking; Journal of the Royal Statistical Society; Economic Inquiry; Journal of Banking & Finance; Journal of Financial Services Research; Financial Markets, Institutions and Instruments; Cambridge Journal of Economics; International Journal of Industrial Organization; and Social Science & Medicine.