Financial institutions, financial intermediaries, and asset management firms -- Depository institutions : activities and characteristics -- The u.s. federal reserve and the creations of money -- Monetary policy -- Insurance companies -- Investment companies and exchange-traded funds -- Pension funds -- Properties and pricing of financial assets -- The level and structure of interest rates -- The term structure of interest rates -- Risk/return and asset pricing model -- Primary markets and the underwriting of securities -- Secondary markets -- Treasury and agency securities markets -- Municipal securities markets -- Markets for common stock: the basic characteristics -- Markets for com.