Overview
- Focuses on the history of asset management in the UK
- Draws comparisons with developments in the United States
- Places asset management in the context of major historical events, both economic and financial
- Identifies transformational changes in the nature of markets
- Highlights the contribution of skilled investors and their innovative thinking in the world of investment
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Finance (PSHF)
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Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
- Financial history
- Banking
- Investments
- Capital markets
- John Maynard Keynes
- Philip Rose
- Robert Fleming
- George Booth
- Ian Fairbairn
- George Ross Goobey
- Scottish Asset Management
- Institutional Investments
- Unit Trusts
- Pension Funds
- Philanthropy in asset management
- investments and securities
- household finance
About this book
Reviews
“Like Bayesian statisticians, political leaders or school teachers—or any other group with a history—we can hope to modify our current reality, but only incrementally. So, if we wish to know where we are and where we are heading, we would be wise to recognize and understand where we have been and where we have come from. With considerable skill, Nigel Morecroft—himself a leading practitioner of the investment profession, a partner in a great Scottish firm, and a talented writer—has carefully researched the history of the investment discipline and its leading practitioners to create this highly engaging study of the investment profession-cum-business. Every serious practitioner will want to enjoy a few hours of interesting reading with this genial history of the United Kingdom’s most successful investment firms and their impact on the global profession and business.” (Charles D. Ellis, Winning the Loser’s Game & Index Revolution)
“In this comprehensive and well-researched work, Morecroft analyses how key individuals, technology, and the political backdrop combined to create the asset management business we know today. Actuaries will be particularly interested to see how issues of current interest, such as illiquidity premium, were already being debated more than150 years ago, and hopefully we can all learn something from the mistakes and successes of these pioneers.” (Malcolm Campbell, Immediate Past President, International Actuarial Association)
“This is a wide ranging and deeply thoroughly researched study on the origins of professional fund management in the UK over the last three hundred years. It shows how most of the issues facing the sector today were tackled and surmounted in the past with many lessons for current market participants. Idiosyncratic investors and innovators are brought to life and their contributions made clear and the social value of good fund management highlighted.” (Jeremy Tigue, Fund Manager of Foreign &Colonial Investment Trust from 1997 to 2014)
“Many overlook the value of keeping the past in mind when investing – the point is that market metrics move across a vastly wider range than most assume. Given that I expect more political and economic change in the next three years than we have experienced over the last three decades, Nigel Morecroft’s book is very prescient. After Brexit, an appreciation of the patterns and structures of the past will greatly improve our perspective as to what the future might bring.” (Gervais Williams, Senior Executive Director of Miton Group UK, Awarded Fund Manager of the Year by What Investment? 2014)
“A lost history has been discovered in this excellent book by Nigel Morecroft. A book blending grounded research with some illuminating stories covering the development of the asset management world. Themes uncovered as relevant to-day – for example ethical conduct and putting the client first- and also examples of poor decision making and bad practice. An essential read for both reflective practitioners and those teaching and researching the subject who need a comprehensive understanding of context.” (Professor Paul Palmer, Cass Business School)
“This is a thorough and highly readable account of some of the main institutions and individuals influential in the development of the British asset management industry over two and a half centuries. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in financial history.” (David Chambers, Reader in Finance, Judge Business School. Cambridge University)
“In many ways, it is remarkable that so little real history has been written about an industry that is so important to millions of households in the UK and across the world. While there has been the occasional work, notably Peter Stormonth Darling’s fascinating and entertaining City Cinderella, the history of the UK asset management industry usually appears as a sub-section of wider accounts about the evolution of the modern financial system. This gap in the literature has, until recently at least, been mirrored in a wider public profile that is less developed than it should be. The Origins of Asset Management is thus doubly welcome, both as a significant sectoral contribution to the history of financial services, and more widely as a reminder of how much asset management matters, to individuals and the broader economy.” (Jonathan Lipkin, Director, Policy, Strategy and Research, The Investment Association)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Nigel Edward Morecroft is a former asset management professional having spent most of his working life in institutional asset management. Previous appointments have included Partner at Baillie Gifford & Co. and Director at Foreign & Colonial Asset Management, having started his career at Wood Mackenzie & Co. Typically in his capacity as a trustee, Nigel currently applies his extensive experience in investments to a number of charities including the Charities Official Investment Funds (COIF) where he is a Director. He is also a Trustee and Member of the University Court at the University of St Andrews, UK.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Origins of Asset Management from 1700 to 1960
Book Subtitle: Towering Investors
Authors: Nigel Edward Morecroft
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in the History of Finance
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51850-3
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-84758-0Published: 30 August 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-51850-3Published: 22 April 2017
Series ISSN: 2662-5164
Series E-ISSN: 2662-5172
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 343
Number of Illustrations: 12 b/w illustrations
Topics: Financial History, Investments and Securities, Personal Finance/Wealth Management/Pension Planning, Investment Appraisal