"Robert Grosse shows that, despite the internet, most financial services are still delivered locally; indeed the world's largest international financial institutions (such as Allianz and Merrill Lynch) are leaders in their home markets but are not true global leaders. He also shows that, in retail banking, the performance of commercial banks is strongly determined by the growth of their home markets." <i>Alan Rugman, Indiana University</i> <br /> <p>"In this important book Robert Grosse shows that, despite the internet, there are few globally active financial institutions and that there are no truly global competitors. Most financial services are still delivered locally: as a notable example, in retail banking the performance of commercial banks is stongly determined by the growth of their home markets. The future of financial services will be local rather than global." <i>Alan Rugman, Kelley School of Business</i></p>
- An informative and provocative exploration of the future of the financial services industry.
- Focuses on likely changes in the near future, such as greater use of the Internet for banking transactions and the increasing globalization of financial services.
- Points to the probable disappearance of the insurance sector as a separate industry.
- Describes changing conditions in key financial centres, especially the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Part I: The Environment.
1. Introduction.
2. The Globalization of Financial Services.
3. The Virtualization of Financial Services.
4. Government Regulation: The Second Key Factor Underlying Industry Structure.
Part II: Competitive Strategies.
5. The Financial Landscape: Organizations and Universal Banking (The Status Quo).
6. Competitive Strategies of International Financial Institutions.
7. Competitiveness of Commercial Banks from Key Countries.
8. Responding to the Challenge of the New Economy.
Part III: Direction of the Sector.
9. Why insurance won’t survive.
10. Investment banking at the crossroads.
11. Financial instruments and financial structures.
12. Generation of long-term investment to support long-term bond & stock markets.
13. Centers of international financial activity.
14. Surviving the twenty-first Century.
Index
The book focuses on the changes that we will face in the near future, such as greater use of the Internet for banking transactions and the increasing globalization of financial services. It considers changing conditions in key financial centres around the world, especially in the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and Switzerland; and it points to the probable disappearance of the insurance sector as a separate industry. The book describes the strategies of major financial services firms, and discusses the likelihood that various strategies will be viable in the future.
The author's informative and, at times, provocative assertions will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand how the financial services sector is developing.