Finance: from theory to reality

The book serves to provide an orientation in the fundamental areas of finance, from the theoretical understanding to the reality of finance in today's world. It characterizes the different areas of finance separately, defining their common features and their interconnectedness.

The book is based on an explanation of the understanding of currency and money, from historical forms to cryptoassets. It continues with a characterisation of monetary policy, reflecting on changes after the financial crisis, including unconventional monetary policy, and explaining the nature, causes and consequences of inflation and deflation. It also highlights the importance of interest rates in the real economy and the importance of financial markets, including the characteristics of specific financial market institutions and financial market trends.

In the context of international finance, it focuses on the explanation of the balance of payments and exchange rates with practical applications, as well as the main principles of the optimal monetary area. Sections on banking and insurance are devoted to fundamental insights from these areas, with a strong emphasis on the realities of these markets and current trends. Corporate Finance contains essential knowledge in the field of corporate finance with emphasis on modern forms of financing. Public Finance summarizes the basic knowledge in this area and addresses, among other things, the current issue of public debt.