This textbook provides an accessible introduction to finance and financial markets around the world. Requiring no previous knowledge of the subject, the authors comprehensively cover a broad range of different types of banking, markets, foreign exchange and derivative products. Incorporating recent events and current developments in finance, contemporary, international examples are used throughout to illustrate this fast-moving subject area. With Stephen Valdez's decades of experience as a financial trainer and Philip Molyneux's academic experience, they are the perfect team for this accessible and applied textbook. This textbook is core reading for second and third year undergraduate students studying modules in financial markets and institutions as part of business and management degree courses. In addition it is suitable for use on MBA finance courses. New to this Edition:- Provides updated and expanded coverage of the global financial crisis of 2007-08 and its aftermath- Explains and contextualises the major structural and regulatory reforms of global banking and financial markets- A new design to make it more student-friendly, such as illustrative boxes that explain key financial issues