This course explores the role of money in the economy and provides an overview of financial markets and financial institutions, including the banking industry. Financial markets and institutions, which are becoming more globally  interconnected, involve the flow of huge quantities of money and affect our everyday life in various ways by affecting the availability of credits to consumers and producers, production and availability of goods and services, business profits, and the overall economic well-being of countries. What happens to financial markets, financial institutions, and money is of great concern to governments and politicians who want to be reelected. Various topics related to financial markets and institutions such as the duration and term structure of interest rates, exchange rate markets, banking and management of financial institutions, asset/liability management, risk and credit management are covered. The class also explains central banking, the conduct of monetary policy, and international finance. We will also discuss the recent subprime mortgage and financial crisis. The course will help you to understand the importance of money, banking, and financial markets in an economy and teach how they are interrelated and function.  It is hoped that you will understand what is written in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and the Economist much more easily after taking this class.