This book shows how federated machine learning allows multiple data owners to collaboratively train and use a shared prediction model while keeping all the local training data private. Traditional machine learning approaches need to combine all data at one location, typically a data center, which may very well violate the laws on user privacy and data confidentiality. Today, many parts of the world demand that technology companies treat user data carefully according to use...

The global financial crisis has left a large private sector debt overhang and high levels of non- performing loans (NPLs) in several European countries. Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) represent a significant and weak segment of the nonfinancial corporate sector. SMEs face a number of legal, financial, and regulatory challenges to restructuring that differ from those of larger corporates, such as a rigid and costly insolvency regime, a higher fixed cost to loan restructuring, and ...

Europe’s banking system is weighed down by high levels of non-performing loans (NPLs), which are holding down credit growth and economic activity. This discussion note uses a new survey of European country authorities and banks to examine the structural obstacles that discourage banks from addressing their problem loans. A three pillared strategy is advocated to remedy the situation, comprising: (i) tightened supervisory policies, (ii) insolvency reforms, and (iii) the development of distress...

This book's prime audience is government policy-makers. It provides a policy framework for governments to increase micro small and medium enterprises' access to financial services?one which is based on empirical evidence from around the world. Financial sector policies in many developing countries often work against the ability of commercial financial institutions to serve this market segment albeit often unintentionally. The framework guides governments on how to best focus scarce ...

International trade, and its financing, is now a key component of many undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. For anyone involved in international sales, finance, shipping and administration, or for those studying for academic or professional qualifications in international trade, The Handbook of International Trade and Finance offers an extensive and topical explanation of the key finance areas. This essential reference resource provides the information n...

Your total plain-English guide to trading ForexOpen 24 hours a day, 5½ days per week, and trading nearly $4 trillion (US) per day, Forex is the biggest, fastest growing financial market in the world. Your complete A-to-Z guide, FX Trading gets you up to speed on everything you need to know to make a killing trading Forex. Starting with the basics of money management, analysis, and FX market trading mechanics, it swiftly advances into more advanced territor...

Microfinance is not simply banking; it is a development tool. It has been estimated that there are 500 million economically active poor people in the world operating microenterprises and small businesses. Most of them do not have access to adequate financial services. The purpose of this Handbook is to bring together in a single source guiding principles and tools that will promote sustainable microfinance and create viable institutions. The Handbook takes a global perspective, drawing on les...

This book, by Alan A. Tait, is an examination of VAT. It looks at problems and theoretical options and potential impacts, as well as detailing the practical aspects of implementing new tax structures. The author advances arguments for and against alternative policies and illustrates his study with international examples from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. He suggests that countries can learn from each other's experiencees with VAT.

Invaluable information regarding one of the biggest worldwide growth areas in investing-infrastructure assetsInfrastructure investing is about to explode on the worldwide scene. The fact is that real money will need to be spent on real projects-which will present real opportunities for stable, long-term returns. But infrastructure assets have unique characteristics and the investments and funds that will likely rise up must be suitably structured to serve investor needs.Aut...

Investment in infrastructure is critical to economic growth, quality of life, poverty reduction, access to education, healthcare, and achieving many of the goals of a robust economy. But infrastructure is difficult for the public sector to get right. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can help; they provide more efficient procurement, focus on consumer satisfaction and life cycle maintenance, and provide new sources of investment, in particular through limited recourse debt. But PPPs prese...

In Understanding China’s Economic Indicators, leading economist and Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas M. Orlik introduces 35 of China's most significant economic statistics. Orlik explains why each indicator matters, how it is collected and computed, and its impact on equity, commodity, and currency markets.   As China has emerged as a central player in the global economy, more and more investors are seeking prof...

This accompanying document to the Guidelines for Public Debt Management, which the IMF and the World Bank co-published in 2001, contains sample case studies that illustrate how a range of countries from around the world and at different stages of economic and financial development are developing their debt management capacity in a manner consistent with the guidelines. The experience of these countries is discussed in this publication, and should offer some useful and practical suggestions...