THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
BRYAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
FIN 330: Financial Institutions and Markets
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Classroom:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours
Dr. Hunter An
BRYN 132 (T R 9:30-10:45am)
Bryan Building, Room 322
(336) 334-3153
h_an@uncg.edu (include Fin 330 in your email subject)
Tuesday and Thursday: 10:45-11:45 a.m. and by appointments
PREREQUISITES: Grade of C or better in FIN 315
OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course is intended to help you understand the role of financial institutions and markets play in the business environment
that you will face in the future. It also helps you to develop a series of applications of principles from finance and economics
that explore the connection between financial markets, financial institutions and the economy. On the financial markets side,
we will learn the term structure of interest rates, stocks, principals of derivatives, and currencies. On the institutions side, we
will learn commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, the Federal Reserve Systems and their
role of in the economy.
LEARNING OUTCOME:
Upon Successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. discuss theories that underneath the term structure of interest rates.
2. discuss efficient market hypothesis related to stock pricing.
3. understand a stylized bank’s balance sheet and discuss how risks are managed in banks.
4. discuss facts of the insurance business, mutual funds and investment banks.
5. grasp the basic features of options and futures and understand how financial institutions use them for risk management.
6. discuss the main functions of the Fed and tools they use to affect the economy.
7. know how currency value is determined the short run and long run.
8. know exchange rate system history, and the central bank intervention in the currency market, both unsterilized and
sterilized.
COURSE MATERIALS:
1.
Financial Markets and Institutions by Saunders and Cornett, published by McGraw-Hill, 5th edition, 2011.
Both the book and Connect Finance are required. You have (at least) 2 options to purchase both in a bundle:
a. A hardcopy text and Connect Finance bundle (ISBN: 9780077893095, available at the UNCG bookstore).
b. Connect Plus, which includes an E-text and Connect Finance, is available when you register for Connect
Finance online as described below.
1
Instead of a bundle, you can purchase the textbook by itself and purchase Connect Finance separately. The ISBN for the
hardcopy text is 978-0078034664 (book only). You can purchase Connect Finance separately when you register for
Connect Finance online as described below.
2. Connect Finance (required).
Each student must have access to McGraw-Hill’s Connect Finance product which you will be required to use to submit graded
homework assignments.
To register for Connect Finance:
a. Go to
http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/h_an_section_01
and click on the “Register Now” button. You will likely be prompted to enter your e-mail address. This is a
unique address for this class.
If you are a new user, you will see two options:
1). Click to enter your access code (because you purchased Connect bundled with the bundle)
OR
2). Click to purchase access to Connect Finance online now because you didn’t purchase the text/Connect
Finance bundle. Choose either Connect (no e-book) or Connect Plus (includes access to an online E-book).
b. Complete the registration form
c. Access your Connect homepage by clicking on “Go To Connect Now”
d. At your Connect homepage you can access your assignments, study center, grades, and other resources provided
by your instructor. Start by clicking any of the assignment titles displayed on the list.
e. Don’t forget to bookmark this URL Connect!!
If you have trouble with registration, please contact Customer Support at http://mpss.mhhe.com/.
3. Financial Calculator (required). The recommended calculator for this course is the HP 10B II. Any calculator that is
capable of performing time value of money, amortization, net present value and internal rate of return calculations will be
sufficient. However, financial calculations will be taught with this calculator only. You are responsible for learning the
keystrokes of any other calculator. Please bring your financial calculator with you for every class.
4. Wall Street Journal (optional but highly recommended). At student rate ($1 per week), you receive the print paper 6
days a week, full access to WSJ.com, Smartphone and Tablet editions. Please follow the steps below:
a. Please visit: WSJ.com/studentoffer
b. Complete student verification process
c. Subscription term: WSJ—15 weeks @ $15
d. IMPORTANT: Under School information use the following:
i. Zip code for school (first 3) – 274
ii. School Name – click on UNC GREENSBORO
iii. Referring Professor – AN, HUNTER
*If the professor’s name is not listed please select “other” from the list and input Hunter An
e. Complete the remainder of the form.
5.
Syllabus and lecture PowerPoint slides are posted in Blackboard under “Course Documents”. To access course
documents, you must log into your iSpartan account in a Web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, IE etc.) and then use that
browser to access the course documents. Since you don’t really need my permission to access these documents, any request
to share would be ignored. Your UNCG email account is the official means of communication of this class. Please check
your UNCG email account periodically throughout the semester.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:
1.
Homework: Homework accounts for 15% of your total grade. You need complete the homework assigned on
Connect Finance before the due date, and it will be graded. You can try unlimited times for each homework (before the due
date), and only the highest grade will be taken. There will be no extension of deadlines or make-up on graded homework.
2
Doing homework consistently is an absolute must for success in this course. You will find the course much easier if you keep
up with the homework as it is assigned rather than leaving it all until a night or two before the test. I am a firm believer that
you “learn by doing”. Therefore, the course has been designed with assignments throughout the semester so that you are
motivated to keep.
2.
Quizzes: Quizzes are given in class throughout the semester, and may not be announced in advance. Material
covered may include newly assigned material as well as recently discussed topics. Your lowest quiz will be dropped. There
will be no make-up for any missed quiz.
3.
Exams: The exams will be based on homework questions, lectures and the textbook, and will consist of multiple
choice questions. Please purchase the scantron at the UNCG bookstore and bring them to the exam.
Exam 1: February 11 (Tentative)
Exam 2: March 4 (Tentative)
Exam 3: April 8 (Tentative)
Final exam: noon-3 pm, May 6
Final exam is comprehensive. There are no makeup exams. In the event you miss an exam for medical circumstances, you
must notify me prior the scheduled exam and provide me with a note from a physician. I will determine whether to consider the
absence excused or unexcused and follow University policy. If the written verification is provided, the weight attributable to a
missed exam will be allocated to the comprehensive final exam. Exam questions will not be released to students after the exam.
GRADING:
All grade appeals must be in writing and submitted to me within one week of the time the grade is posted. No late appeals
will be considered. Adherence to the Academic Integrity Policy is expected and required of all students for all exams and
assignments. Failure to abide by this policy will result in disciplinary action. Details of the Academic Integrity Policy are
available at http://saf.dept.uncg.edu/studiscp/Manual.html.
Your grade will be determined based on the following:
Homework
Quizzes
Exams 1
Exams 2
Exams 3
Cumulative Final Exam
15%
15%
15%
15%
15%
25%
The grading scale is as follows:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
92% and above
90 – 91.99%
88 – 89.99%
82 -87.99%
80 – 81.99%
78 – 79.99%
72 – 77.99%
70 – 71.99%
68 – 69.99%
62 - 67.99%
60 – 61.99%
< 60%
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:
a. Student Conduct: Students are expected to arriving for class on time, remaining in class for its duration, and doing
absolutely nothing during class that is disruptive or detracts from the learning experience of others. If a student is notified of
disruptive behaviors more than once, the overall course grade of the disruptive student will be reduced by one full letter
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grade. If the conduct continues, the instructors reserve the right to ask the student to leave and drop any student disrupting
this class from the class. For an overview of specific University and Bryan School policies, please see the following links:
http://studentconduct.uncg.edu/policy/code/
www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf
b. Student Disabilities: All students with a disability requesting special services must go through the Office of Disabilities
Services. If you are requesting special accommodations, please bring your paper work from Disability Services directly to me
the first week of class. All such information will be held in confidence. The web link to this office is
http://ods.dept.uncg.edu/services/ .
c. No credit can be given for a dishonest assignment. At the discretion of the instructor, a student caught engaging in any
form of academic dishonesty may be:

Given a zero for that assignment.

Dropped from the course.

Failed in the course.

Dropped from the school.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
PART 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL MARKETS
1 Introduction
2 Determination of Interest Rates
3 Interest Rates and Security Valuation (plus duration model and immunization in Chapter 22)
4 The Federal Reserve System, Monetary Policy, and Interest Rates
PART 2 SECURITIES MARKETS
5 Money Markets
6 Bond Markets
8 Stock Markets
PART 3 COMMERCIAL BANKS
11 Commercial Banks: Industry Overview
12 Commercial Banks' Financial Statements and Analysis
13 Regulation of Commercial Banks
PART 4 OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS*
15 Insurance Companies
16 Securities Firms and Investment Banks
17 Mutual Funds and Hedge Funds
18 Pension Funds
* If time permits
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