Archive for the ‘Games Bankers Play’ Category

The Auction Rate Municipal Securities Bare Washington’s Greatest Fear

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

It is not the intent of this article to explain exactly what banks are doing to mislead investors with regard to the sale of auction-rate municipal securities. That is the trap into which most articles on the subject fall, and since confusing the public is the purpose of every significant ...

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” ...

The Credit Crisis, Expertise, Gut Instinct, and the Election.

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Ronald Regan was the last President that realized how often the gut instinct of the average voter and the expertise of the educated few who openly share their reasoned beliefs spring from the same well. It gave him clarity and decisiveness we haven’t seen since. He had the rare courage ...

Is FASB Finally Standing Up to the Fed?

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

FASB (The Financial Accounting Standards Board - rule-makers for the accounting profession) announced possible rule changes for banks today (May 1st). This event got little attention in the financial press. It rated a sidebar in the Money and Investing section of the Wall Street Journal. As far as I could ...