Finance refers to the way in which businesses, individuals and organizations allocate and use financial resources, and refers to the flow of money, assets, capital, banking, credit, investments, equity, and debt. Since the 1960s, the financial services industry has internationalized with the massive increase in world trade, the expansion of transnational companies, the proliferation of remittances from foreign workers to their home nations, and the vast institutionalization of savings in pension funds seeking maximum investment returns. In addition, the creation of offshore financial centers and the movement of illegal transactions from drugs and weapons have challenged government management of internal finances. Sustainability advocates have responded by developing green banking and other financial services, such as microfinance (which encourages capital to remain in communities); alternative currencies; shareholder advocacy; and critiques of major financial organizations such as the IMF.

Keywords
money, debt, banking, lending, development banks, lending program impacts, international financial institutions, IFIs, capital, loan, transparency, microcredit, financial flows, business, economics, assets, capital, equity, debt relief, green enterprise, capitalism, credit union, international law, privatization, structural adjustments, equity and debt, offshore financial centers, furtive money, reserve requirements, tax shelters, electronic cash management services, remittances, transnational banks, commercial banks, investment bank/securities house, credit card company, accountancy firm, insurance company, outsourcing, IMF, World Bank, Eurodollar, International Banking Facilities (IBF), stock exchange