The financial services industry is being transformed by heightened regulation, technological disruption, and changing demographics. These structural forces have lowered barriers to entry, increasing competition from within and outside the industry, in the form of entrepreneurial fintech start-ups to large, non-financial technology-based companies.
The Technological Revolution in Financial Services is an invaluable resource for those eager to understand the evolving financial industry. This edited volume outlines the strategic implications for financial services firms in North America, Europe, and other advanced economies. The most successful banks, insurance companies, and asset managers will partner with financial technology companies to provide a better and more innovative experience services to retail customers and small businesses. Ultimately this technological revolution will benefit customers and lead to a more open and inclusive financial system.
In 1991 a brave, young women stepped into the Weber County Attorney's Office and admitted she had been part of a religious cult that was sexually abusing children. Burdened by guilt and expecting jailtime, she willingly revealed everything she knew about the cult and its members. Her effort at redemption would ultimately lead to the rescue of 32 children who were being sexually assaulted every day. This was only the beginning of the story in what became the largest, most successfully prosecuted case of ritual sex abuse in the state of Utah, perhaps the nation.
Weeks later following hundreds of hours of investigation, 70 police officers and social workers stormed the close-knit community with search and arrest warrants. Volumes of evidence was seized but the group's leader avoided capture. Many of the children were taken into protective custody and the legends about stockpiled weapons, pharmaceuticals and food storage were confirmed. Several days later the leader of the group would be captured and confess to the assaults. Within a few months, eleven more cult members would be indicted. In all, these predators committed more than 750 felony crimes of sexual assault. As I walked to my car on that final day in court, I thought to myself, I hope the children we are praying for today are not the predators we are putting in jail tomorrow.
Over the years, I followed many of the cult members as they moved from one polygamist group to another. One by one, the correctional system released each predator as their time was served. The self-proclaimed prophet would die in prison. Now, 30 years later I'm sharing the story of the people who led the cult and why the people followed. Most importantly, I'm telling the remarkable story of some of the victims who rose above the horror and the extraordinary moment when they came back together 29 years later.
She Knew No Fear brings to life the extraordinary journey of Jane McKechnie Walton, a Scottish immigrant who crossed the Atlantic as a child, survived the treacherous plains of America, and helped settle the rugged Utah frontier. As a devoted wife and mother, Jane and her husband answered the call to establish new settlements in some of the most unforgiving terrain in the West. Their perilous trek through the infamous Hole in the Rock stands as one of the most harrowing episodes in pioneer history.
Based on decades of investigative research and rich historical documents, this compelling memoir uncovers Jane's resilience, faith, and unbreakable spirit. It also raises new questions about the mysteries surrounding her untimely death. A testament to the grit and sacrifice of early pioneers, She Knew No Fear is a captivating tribute to a woman whose courage shaped generations to come.