Shadow Banking and its Role in the Financial Crisis

Shadow banking refers to bank-like financial activities that are conducted outside the traditional commercial banking system, many of which are unregulated or lightly regulated. Many of the activities performed within the shadow banking system take funds from savers and investors and ultimately provide them to borrowers. Within this broad definition are investment banks, finance companies, money market funds, hedge funds, special purpose entities, and other vehicles that aggregate and hold financial assets. These entities are critical players in the markets for securitized products, structured products, commercial paper, asset-backed commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and derivatives. The activities of these firms financed substantial economic activity, albeit indirectly. This book examines the nature and scope of the shadowing banking system and its role in the financial crisis.