Firms that depend on external funds, such as bank loans or equity sales, are particularly vulnerable.

ECONOMIST: Can higher productivity fill the gap?

If investors see a clear path to a sizeable return then external funds can come from all kinds of external sources.

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Other projects receive external assistance from the United Nations funds and programmes.

UNESCO: CULTURE

Selecting and monitoring qualified, reputable money managers is of paramount importance to those funds that choose to hire external managers.

FORBES: The Politics of Fraud: How Pension Politics Enable Money Managers To Commit Fraud (July 1, 2001)

All investment managers, not just mutual funds, could now be forced to use external clearing agents to ensure third-party scrutiny, says Larry Harris of the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.

ECONOMIST: The Madoff affair

Chee used university research funds to post his wife's PhD dissertation for examination to an external examiner.

CNN: LETTERS AND COMMENT