Fiduciary Finance: Investment Funds and the Crisis in Financial Markets

This multi-faceted analysis of institutional investment defines `fiduciary finance' institutions as the third pillar of the financial system, alongside banks and insurers. It documents the role played by investment funds and the money management industry during the recent financial crisis, and provides an unashamedly critical review of the business disciplines which can dominate investment practices. It clarifies the economic significance of the investment industry (circa $60 trillion in assets) and the features which differentiate fiduciary finance from traditional financial institutions such as banks and insurers.

Martin Gold reviews the intellectual foundations of the investment discipline and synthesizes the literature into the principal `scientific paradigms'. He explores the legal frameworks (prudential investment standards) that govern mainstream portfolio management practices which, combined with the commercial imperatives of the investment industry, can create marked differences from textbook depictions of investment management. Recent events have again called into question the worth of the now ubiquitous collective investments such as pension funds and mutual funds, and the integrity of the financial markets. Given the trillions of government funds which have been committed to financial bailouts, and the volatility experienced by investors, the author asserts that a critical analysis of fiduciary finance must question whether better outcomes can be achieved. Tellingly, most fiduciary finance institutions remain outside the perimeter of macro-prudential regulations.

This challenging and multidisciplinary work promises to provide a fascinating read for academics focusing on economics and finance, money and banking, as well as for investment and financial services practitioners, policymakers and market regulators.