Archive for the ‘Australia’ Category

Classifying Banks During the Banking Crisis: Wells Fargo Was Never “One of the Boys.”

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

In the 21st Century there have been four archetypical ways of making a living as a bank. First there has been the way with which we have become most familiar since the crisis. Find the best scam the bank regulators are passing out and push it to the max. This was ...

The Coming Regulations For Financial Institutions: Don’t Worry. Be Happy.

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

It has been clear since the outset of the Credit Crisis (see “Mortgage Debt Crisis,” September 10, 2007 post, this blog.) that the investment banks were going to be regulated by the Federal Reserve. Secretary of the Treasury Paulson set a four year deadline to implement his then unspecified “update” ...

As One Storm Ends, Another Comes: The Australian Merger Melee

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

It was semi-prophetic the way that the big four Aussie banks announced to the world months ago their robust and healthy capital positions, leaving them well placed to secure the smaller, struggling financials when the sub-prime turmoil ended. I began to wonder soon after, however, whether this was nothing more ...

Australia: Determined To Be the Same

Friday, March 14th, 2008

For as long as I can remember, Australia has been trying to mimic the U.S. Australians watch what Americans watch; eat what they eat, and as soon as we get word of the latest fashion craze in Orange County, we wear what they wear. Even in matters far less trivial ...