The History of Finance Careers
Finance has been an essential part of human civilization for centuries. The concept of financial management can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, where merchants and traders tracked transactions using clay tablets.
Key Historical Milestones:
- 1400s – Double-entry bookkeeping system is formalized in Italy, laying the foundation for modern accounting.
- 1700s–1800s – Banks, stock exchanges, and insurance companies begin to formalize in Europe and America.
- 1930s – The U.S. establishes the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) after the Great Depression to regulate financial markets.
- 1970s–1990s – Finance careers expand due to globalization and the emergence of Wall Street culture.
- 2000s–Present – The rise of FinTech, cryptocurrency, and AI-driven financial services transforms how we invest, save, and manage money.
Today, finance professionals operate in a tech-driven environment where digital tools, real-time data, and global markets are the norm.