Description: The U.S. government is setting up a program to sell its 27% stake in Citigroup Inc. and the plan could be announced next month, according to a report Thursday, citing unidentified people with direct knowledge of the matter. Source: Marketwatch.com  Date: 03/25/2010  Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/treasury-reportedly-sets-plan-to-sell-citi-shares-2010-03-25?siteid=nwtwk Questions for discussion: Would you be a buyer of… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Governments & Regulators
How Not to Run an S.E.C. Investigation
Description: A recent report by Securities and Exchange Commission’s inspector general shows that the investigation of Bernard L. Madoff was not the only one to go badly awry. While the impact of the S.E.C.’s missteps were not nearly as significant as in the Madoff case, the report shows that the agency’s enforcement division allowed itself… Read more »
Why a $14/hour employee costs $20
Description: You probably cost your boss a lot more than you think you do. Source:Â CNNMoney.com Date: 03/26/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/26/smallbusiness/employee_costs/index.htm Questions for discussion: In general, do you think these taxes (costs) are fair to employers and employees? Why would any exemptions for employment taxes be considered an unfair competitive subsidy by other businesses who must… Read more »
Dodd calls for Lehman Bros. investigation
Description: A year and a half after Lehman Brothers’ collapse, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., is calling for a federal investigation into the “Lehman situation” and other companies that may have fudged their balance sheets, contributing to the financial crisis. Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 03/20/2010  Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/19/news/economy/lehman_brothers_chris_dodd/index.htm Questions for discussion: Do you believe… Read more »
At Lehman, Watchdogs Saw It All
Description: Almost two years ago to the day, a team of officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York quietly moved into the headquarters of Lehman Brothers. They were provided desks, phones, computers — and access to all of Lehman’s books and records. At any given moment, there… Read more »
Lehman’s $642 million bankruptcy
Description: Councils, advisors, consultants, even an art auctioneer get hefty compensation for cleaning up the firm’s books. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report  Date: 03/12/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2010/03/12/f_sl_lehman_fees.fortune/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the possible claims against Lehman. Explain why criminal proceedings against individuals or organizations might be in order? Explain the lessons learned by the failure… Read more »
$642 million to clean up Lehman — and counting
Description: Unraveling the biggest-ever U.S. bankruptcy case isn’t cheap. A report released Thursday by the examiner in the Lehman Brothers Chapter 11 case exposed the games the defunct investment bank’s executives played to stay in Wall Street’s good graces Source: CNNMoney.com  Date: 03/12/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/12/news/companies/lehman.fees.fortune/?section=magazines_fortune Questions for discussion: How does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which… Read more »
China may allow yuan to rise by mid-April, strategists say
Description: China could allow its currency to begin appreciating against the U.S. dollar within the next month, as Beijing responds to growing pressure from Washington to allow its currency to trade more freely, according to analysts. Source: Marketwatch.com  Date: 03/12/2010 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-may-let-yuan-rise-next-month-2010-03-12?siteid=nwtwk Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons one can expect a rise in… Read more »
SEC explains dangerous derivatives
Description: Director of the SEC’s division of Risk, Strategy, and Financial Innovation Henry Hu maps out how credit default swaps work. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report  Date: 03/05/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2010/03/04/mkts_ss_sec_white_board.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the financial arrangements between banks, companies, and investors that define credit default swaps.  What is the problem, if any? Should… Read more »
Greece on the Brink: Anatomy of a Debt Crisis
Description: A wakeup call for Greece and the euro. WSJ’s Andy Jordan and Joe Parkinson report from Athens on the threat of a potentially contagious debt crisis and the moral hazard of bailing out a country with bad fiscal habits. Source: Marketwatch – video report  Date: 03/02/2010 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/greece-on-the-brink-anatomy-of-a-debt-crisis/5AEAD5AC-6C7E-424C-BF51-FA0A40B350C9 Questions for discussion: What is… Read more »
