Shadow Banking ─ The Rise, Risks, and Rewards of Non-Bank Financial Services

This comparative study explores how shadow banking differs from the traditional banking system. It discusses the origins, history, purposes, risks, regulatory constraints, and projected future evolution of both financial sectors of the world economy. This thorough examination of non-bank financial intermediaries follows the migration of services from traditional banks to less-regulated alternative banking products, as well as the evolution of regulations and the Financial Stability Oversight Council to monitor these new entities. Three chapters explore in depth the major financial structures newly designated as systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs), with particular attention to insurance companies such as MetLife, which seek exemption from the designation. Finally, the focus shifts to international financial institutions' efforts to protect consumers and curtail irresponsible shadow banks, with an eye toward the effects of these actions on future banking practices. 

Roy J. Girasa is a Professor of Law at the Lubin School of Business, Pace University, USA. He has authored over 100 journals articles and newspaper columns on the topics of financial law, securities law, and regulations. He is the author of the bestselling textbook Cyberlaw: National and International Perspectives (2001), and two previous Palgrave Macmillan books, Corporate Governance and Finance Law (2013) and Laws and Regulations in Global Financial Markets (2013).