Jesse's Café Américain Sat 2009-10-10 11:52 EDT

Beta Monster: The Most Dangerous Banks In the World

Jesse

The most leveraged bank by far is the-investment-bank-which-must-not-be-named. It is followed by J.P. Morgan on a percentage basis, but JPM is far larger nominally than these charts indicate because of its much larger capital base. Its in the nature of the difference between a cardshark (GS) and a pawnshop (JPM). Or perhaps just the capital requirements of the short versus the long con. [Goldman Sachs astronomical credit exposure, trading revenue, derivatives exposure]

Beta Monsters; Dangerous Banks; Jesse's Café Américain; world.

The Baseline Scenario Thu 2009-10-08 16:52 EDT

The Problem with Securitization

James Kwak

The New York Times has a story on ``Paralysis in the Debt Markets'' which says, basically, that credit has dried up because of lack of demand for asset-backed securities. In English, that means that since no one wants to invest in securities that are made out of home mortgages, the people who originate mortgages have no place to sell the mortgages to, so they don't have any money to lend. And this is also true of commercial real estate, student loans, and so on. For example, ``A once-thriving private market in securities backed by home mortgages has collapsed, from $744 billion in 2005, at the peak of the housing boom, to $8 billion during the first half of this year.''...the private market may never recover. The boom in securitization was based on investors' willingness to believe what investment banks and credit rating agencies said about these securities.

Baseline Scenario; problem; securitizations.

Thu 2009-10-01 10:14 EDT

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS): A System Designed to Create the Mortgage Back Security Bubble. >> Dr. Housing Bubble Blog

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS)...claims to be a privately-held company and their function is keeping track of a confidential electronic registry of mortgages and the modifications to servicing rights and ownership of the loans. However, if you dig deeper into MERS and their shareholders you will find the same crony bankers...shareholders include AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, WaMu, CitiMortgage, Countrywide, GMAC, Guaranty Bank, and Merrill Lynch...MERS allowed for the mortgage backed security business to explode since it allowed mortgages to be shipped off to Wall Street to be minced into tiny tranches and sold off by the big investment banks...MERS is a front for the mortgage and banking industry. It is claimed as a system of convenience but in reality, it is nothing more than the grease to lube up the housing bubble...what is significant about the Kansas Supreme Court finding has to do with the actual legal ownership of the note and deed especially when it comes to foreclosure...MERS is a straw man...provides ``an opaque veil that clouds not only the actual real ownership of the promissory note, but title to the property.''

created; Dr. Housing Bubble Blog; MER; mortgage; mortgage Electronic Registration System; security bubble; Systems designed.

Fri 2009-09-04 19:05 EDT

Lehman downfall triggered by UK and US mix-up

*** Communication breakdown revealed in first-hand accounts of bank collapse *** Blame game goes on as G20 ministers prepare for crucial London talks A breakdown in communications at the highest level between the US and the UK led to the shock collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers in September last year, a Guardian/Observer investigation has revealed. The downfall of Lehman, which triggered the biggest banking crisis since the Great Depression, came after a rescue bid by the high street bank Barclays failed to materialise. In London, the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority all believed that the US government would step in with a financial guarantee for the troubled Wall Street bank.

Lehman downfall triggered; mixed; UK.

Fri 2008-11-07 00:00 EST

naked capitalism: Investment Banks Hoist on 2005 Bankruptcy Law Changes Petard

2005 Bankruptcy Law Changes Petard; Investment Banks Hoist; naked capitalism.

Tue 2008-09-23 00:00 EDT

naked capitalism: Banks Can Now Use Deposits to Fund Investment Banking Operations?

bank; Fund Investment Banking Operations; naked capitalism; Use Deposits.

Tue 2008-09-23 00:00 EDT

naked capitalism: A Former Regulator on the Fed Allowing Deposits to Fund Investment Banking Operations

Fed Allowing Deposits; Fund Investment Banking Operations; naked capitalism; Regulators.

Tue 2008-08-26 00:00 EDT

The End of the Beginning -- Developments in the Credit Crisis

The End of the Beginning - Developments in the Credit Crisis, by Satyajit Das (Prudent Bear); 2008-05-27; ``limited recognition of the massive de-leveraging of the global financial system that is under way.'' ``The banking systems ability to supply credit is significantly impaired and will remain so for the foreseeable future.'' ``Changes in financial markets will have a significant impact on many companies that now rely on financial engineering rather than real engineering'' Das proposes: ``holdings and values of risky assets held by banks and investment banks must be accurately determined...Risky assets must be valued on a hold-to-maturity basis...Mark-to-market accounting should be suspended...Capital levels should be set on a bank-by-bank basis by regulators...Capital requirements should be eased...government [should] guarantee of all major bank liabilities''

Begins; credit crisis; develop; ending.

Wed 2008-07-09 00:00 EDT

naked capitalism: Investment Banks Sold Auction Rate Securities While Warning Issuers

banks touted auction rate securities to retail buyers while warning issuers market faced serious troubles

Investment Banks Sold Auction Rate Securities; naked capitalism; Warning Issuers.

Fri 2008-06-06 00:00 EDT

Jesse's Café Américain: To Restore Our Economy the Banks Must Be Restrained

Jesse's Café Américain: To Restore Our Economy the Banks Must Be Restrained; Bloomberg commentary by Mark Gilbert, "Time to Put Investment Banking Back in Its Box"

bank; economy; Jesse's Café Américain; restore; Restrain.

Sun 2008-06-01 00:00 EDT

The Great Oil Swindle: How much did the Fed really know?

The Great Oil Swindle: How much did the Fed really know? by Mike Whitney; soaring commodity prices "hoax cooked up by the investment banks and hedge funds...trying to dig their way out of the trillion dollar MBS mess", billions of Fed dollars diverted into commodities

Fed really know; Great Oil Swindle.

Thu 2008-04-10 00:00 EDT

naked capitalism: Buyout CLOs Used for Fed Loans

"investment banks are taking their hung leveraged buyout loans and bundling them into collatearlized loan obligations so they can use them as collateral for loans fromt the Fed"

Buyout CLOs Used; Fed Loans; naked capitalism.

Thu 2008-04-10 00:00 EDT

Investment Banks' Riskiest Assets Rise

by Joe Bel Bruno (AP); Goldman Level 3 assets rising

investment banks; Riskiest Assets Rise.

Tue 2008-04-01 00:00 EDT

SPIEGEL ONLINE - Druckversion - US Financial Crisis: Why the Paulson Plan is DOA - International

SPIEGEL ONLINE - Druckversion - US Financial Crisis: Why the Paulson Plan is DOA, by BusinessWeek chief economist Mike Mandel - International; "Paulson's plan only works in a fictional world where investment banks properly regulate themselves"

DOA; Druckversion; Financial Crisis; International; Paulson plans; Spiegel Online.

Mon 2008-03-31 00:00 EDT

Hussman Funds - Weekly Market Comment: What Congress and Investors Should Understand About the Bear Stearns Deal - March 31, 2008

"Protecting the bondholders of investment banks is not an efficient way to help homeowners."

2008; Bear Stearns Deal; Congress; Hussman Funds; Investors; March 31; understanding; weekly market comments.

Mon 2007-12-17 00:00 EST

Bear In Mind > Wipe out on Wall Street: Derivatives credit risk

Bear In Mind > Wipe out on Wall Street: Derivatives credit risk; ACA Capital hedge counterparty CIBC takes 3B markdown; major investment banks "dead men walking"

Bear; Derivatives credit risk; mind; Wall Street; WIPED.