The German Financial System and the Financial and Economic Crisis

Introduction.- The Historical Development of the German Financial System.- The Growth of Finance and its Role since the 1980s - a Quantitative Overview.- The Institutional Structure of the German Financial System.- Germany's Integration into International and European Financial Markets.- Regulation of the German Financial System.- The Nature and Degree of Competition.- Profitability of the Financial Sector and Sub-Sectors.- Efficiency of the Financial Sector.- Sources of Funds for Business Investments: Non-Financial Corporate Sector and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).- The Involvement of the Financial Sector in the Restructuring of the Economy.- Privatisation and Nationalisation Policies and the Financial Sector.- The Financial Sector and Private Households.- The Real Estate Sector and its Relation to the Financial Sector.- Financialization and Income Distribution.- Crisis and Macroeconomic Policies.- Final Conclusions.