The module provides an opportunity to research, review and evaluate typical retail banking issues common to economic systems in the UK and globally. The course studies generic, international and (some) country specific regulatory, legal and operational issues relating to banking intermediation, credit creation, retail bank delivery systems, key banking products, payment systems, the banker-customer relationship, banking contracts, consumer and microbusiness lending, individual insolvency, and taking and use of security for bank advances. Case studies and real-life examples are used throughout.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of key aspects of banking concepts and theories and recommend solutions to common banking problems;
• appraise legal, regulatory and operational issues affecting bankers and customers;
• apply credit appraisal concepts to consumer and microbusiness proposals;
• explain and apply insolvency law and the effect it has upon the bank accounts and securities of individuals;
• explain how banks take security for advances paying special attention to certain duties imposed by the law in these situations.