Description: JPMorgan Chase & Co will pay more than $2 billion of penalties to settle charges by U.S. federal authorities that it failed to report suspicious activity involving Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Source: Reuters.com Date: Jan 07, 2014 Link: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/07/jpmorgan-madoff-deal-idINL2N0KH0ZP20140107 Questions for Discussions: Summarize the illegal behaviors for which the bank is being fined. Why… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Governments & Regulators
Exclusive: Does It Make Any Sense for Overstock.com to Accept Bitcoin?
Description: Right now, merchants seem to accept Bitcoin for three main reasons: They want press coverage, they’re libertarian fellow travelers, or they’re selling drugs. Assuming that last one doesn’t apply to Overstock.com (OSTK), its announcement that it will begin accepting Bitcoin by mid-2014 seems to be some mix of the first two reasons. The online… Read more »
Market up on good news? Pinch me!
Description: The jobs report was strong and the markets are celebrating. Sure, the Fed may taper sooner rather than later. But that’s not a bad thing as long as the economy is improving. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 07, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/12/06/investing-the-buzz-taper-fed-markets-bernanke-quantitative-easing-jobs-economy.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: Why did the stock market rally? How do… Read more »
Lowest Jobless Rate in 5 Years Raises Odds of a Fed Move
Description: After years of frustrating fits and starts in the wake of the financial crisis and the Great Recession, the United States economy finally appears to be generating jobs at a healthier, more sustainable pace that many analysts now think will continue into 2014. The official unemployment rate fell in November to its lowest level… Read more »
The Ugly Numbers Behind Unbundled Cable TV
Description: If you’re a cable TV subscriber who grumbles about paying for dozens of channels your family never watches, a media analyst has a message: That cable bundle carries all sorts of unseen benefits. Source: BusinessWeek.com Date: Dec 06, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-06/the-ugly-numbers-behind-unbundled-cable-tv#r=hpt-ls Questions for Discussions: Explain the arguments presented for and against bundling with respect… Read more »
El-Erian: ‘Take some money off the table’
Description: Pimco’s Mohamed El-Erian says the question now is not if the Federal Reserve will support the market, but if its policies will work. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 18, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/18/investing-mohamed-el-erian-pimco-stock-market-federal-reserve-bubble.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: Why does El-Erian believe it is time to take some money out of stocks? Who is benefitting… Read more »
Bankers tied to JPMorgan’s $13 billion settlement doing just fine
Description: News that JPMorgan Chase would pay a $13 billion fine, the largest government penalty levied on a single company, initially led to calls that CEO Jamie Dimon should step down. That’s not going to happen. Board members have rallied around Dimon. What’s more, it’s unlikely that Dimon had any direct involvement in the troubled… Read more »
Record Highs Lure Investors Back to Stocks
Description: Investors are rediscovering their taste for equities. Stock funds took in $148 billion in the year’s first 10 months, after five years when money flowed out, according to Investment Company Institute data. The shift marks a reversal from the four years through 2012, when investors put $1 trillion into bond funds, and the financial crisis… Read more »
Did you know Cuba has two currencies?
Description: The system of duel currency creates two levels of wage earners in Cuba. The government announced that they want to end the practice and create a currency that is more valuable. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Oct 31, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/10/31/n-cuba-dual-currency-reform.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: Explain how Cuba’s economy functions with two currencies? Why… Read more »
Wells Fargo now most profitable bank in U.S.
Description: In another sign of the huge changes within the banking business since the financial crisis, Wells Fargo (WFC) is on pace to make more money this year than any other bank in the U.S. Source: Fortune.com Date: Nov 01, 2013 Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/01/wells-fargo/?iid=SF_F_River Questions for Discussions: Explain the reasons for the success of the firm…. Read more »
