I was invited to spout off against the bull market in lobbying on The Young Turks, a political radio show on XM Sirius.
Regulation
Bill Singer on the Galleon Indictments
My pal Bill Singer of Brokeandbroker.com brings us up to speed on the massive hedge fund insider trading ring and the status of some of the players.
The New Decembrists: Ground Zero for the Financial Reform Discussion
My pal The Epicurean Dealmaker has launched a new site that aims to give us all a voice in the debate about what form the coming regulatory overhaul takes. The financial crisis infiltrated every facet of American life so we all have something at stake here.
Conflict? What Conflict?
Following in the illustrious footsteps of Countrywide VIP Chris Dodd and Barney “Homeownership for the Homeless” Frank, Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee now has some splainin’ to do…
SEC Looking at 12b-1 Fees from Mutual Funds
Are 12b-1 fees an anachronism that should be done away with? The SEC seems to be leaning that way and I tend to agree with them on the issue: From Reuters: The top U.S. securities regulator pushed on Thursday to reform mutual fund fees that traditionally used to stimulate fund growth and help cut shareholder…
Your Tax Dollars at Work: Dodd's 1100 Page Financial Reform Bill
A BILL To identify and address risks to the stability of the United States financial system through the establishment of the Agency for Financial Stability, to ensure the orderly resolution of failing complex financial institutions in order to minimize economic turmoil and protect the interest of taxpayers, to provide for effective bank supervision through…
Sparring With the Cult of Ayn Rand
I recently posted an interview I did with the ghost of Ayn Rand and, as expected, a few Randian ideologues came out of the woodwork to challenge the points I sought to get across in my post. I do these faux-interviews because I believe that my strong suit as a writer and financial commentator is…
Interview With The Ghost Of Ayn Rand
As regular readers know, I am often visited by ghosts when I work late at my office in the historic Helmsley Building. I recently had an encounter with none other than the ghost of Ayn Rand, the creator of the objectivist philosophical movement and author of Atlas Shrugged, an ideological novel that argued for absolute…
Setting the Record Straight Re: Bill Singer
I owe someone a major apology for something I wrote last week which was completely disingenuous to their standing and reputation in our industry. It all started when I read an article in Forbes that I felt was insulting to professionals in the brokerage and advisory industry. Since I’ve started my career, I’ve seen a…
Ratings Agencies, aka The Three Stooges, Get a Taste of Regulation
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.3080520&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] The Department of the Treasury just released this Fact Sheet to demonstrate what the administration’s agenda will look like as it pertains to reforming the ratings agencies. Standard & Poors, Moody’s and Fitch, aka The Three Stooges, will have an interesting experience figuring out a profit margin after these are enacted! Buffett agrees…
