Substantially revised and updated, this fourth edition of The UK financial system presents a comprehensive explanation of the workings of the institutions and markets which make up the UK financial system, and discusses the issues affecting them. It presents key theoretical developments such as asymmetric information, the efficient markets hypothesis, behavioral economics and the term structure of interest rates, thus providing an analytical framework to aid understanding of the institutional structure. Several case studies are provided throughout the book looking at the failure of various financial firms and the lessons that can be learned from these. Examples include Equitable Life, Barings Bank, the Bank of International Credit and Commerce (BCCI) and Long Term Capital Management.