Coursera – Financial Markets – Feb-April 2014 – Yale University

Coursera – Financial Markets – Feb-April 2014 – Yale University

Coursera Financial Markets

About the Course
info: www.coursera.org/course/financialmarkets

Instructor: Robert Shiller, Yale University
Feb. 17th – April 16th 2014

Financial institutions are a pillar of civilized society, supporting people in their productive ventures and managing the economic risks they take on. The workings of these institutions are important to comprehend if we are to predict their actions today and their evolution in the coming information age. The course strives to offer understanding of the theory of finance and its relation to the history, strengths and imperfections of such institutions as banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other derivatives markets, and the future of these institutions over the next century.

Course Syllabus

Week 1 Topics – Basic Principles of Finance and Risk Management – February 17th
Introduction to Week 1 from Professor Shiller
Portfolio Diversification and Supporting Financial Institutions (Part 1 and 2)
Insurance, the Archetypal Risk Management Institutions: Its Opportunities and Vulnerabilities
Guest speaker: Maurice “Hank” Greenberg

Week 2 Topics – Efficient Markets vs. Behavioral Finance – February 24th
Introduction to Week 2 from Professor Shiller
Efficient Markets
Behavioral Finance and the Role of the Psychology
Guest speaker: David Swensen

Week 3 Topics – Debt versus Equity – March 3rd
Introduction to Week 3 from Professor Shiller
Theory of Debt, Its Proper Role, Leverage Cycles
Corporate Stocks
Guest Speaker: Laura Cha

Week 4 Topics – Real Estate, Regulation, and Enterprise – March 10th
Introduction to Week 4 from Professor Shiller
Real Estate
Misbehavior, Crises, Regulation and Self Regulation
Guest Speaker: Carl Icahn

Week 5 Topics – Forward Futures and Options Markets – March 17th
Introduction to Week 5 from Professor Shiller
Forward and Futures Markets
Options Markets
Guest Speaker: Andrew Redleaf

Week 6 Topics – Monetary Policy – March 24th
Introduction to Week 6 from Professor Shiller
Banks
Monetary Policy
Guest Speaker: Larry Summers

Week 7 Topics – Critical Elements of the Financial Infrastructure – March 31st
Introduction to Week 7 from Professor Shiller
Investment Banks
Professional Money Managers and Their Influence
Exchanges, Brokers, Dealers, Clearinghouses
Schwarzman Lecture

Week 8 Topics – Finance and the Broader Public Purpose – April 7th
Introduction to Week 8 from Professor Shiller
Public and Non-Profit Finance
Finding your Purpose in the World of Financial Capitalism
Professor Shiller Conclusion