Treasury

Taibbi v Goldman Redux

“Goldman Sachs…is like a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money” Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone Magazine Matt Taibbi is the reporter who has just exploded into the public consciousness with his brutal Goldman Sachs Controls the Universe piece in, of all places, Rolling Stone…

When the Banks Bailed Out America

As a result of the 2008-2009 credit crisis, the United States government has committed over $700 billion to bail out the banks in order to stem the tide of systemic meltdown.  As the populace rages about these rescues and how the banks themselves have chosen to use these funds, it is important to remember that…

Repaying TARP for a Return to Gluttony

I challenge you to find an article about the major banks wishing to repay TARP that doesn’t blatantly cite compensation as the banks primary motivation. Here’s a taste from Dealbook (NYT): Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase have said for weeks that they want to repay their share of the $700 billion government bailout…

This is the Remix: TRB vs. Geithner

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wrote an op-ed in the NYT today outlining how the stress tests on 19 of the largest US banks were conducted. This is the remix… THIS afternoon, Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve and the butcher, the baker and…

Meltzer: Are We Tough Enough For The Coming Inflation Battle?

“No country facing enormous budget deficits, rapid growth in the money supply and the prospect of a sustained currency devaluation as we are has ever experienced deflation. These factors are harbingers of inflation.” Allan H. Meltzer, May 3rd 2009 In Allan Meltzer’s excellent New York Times op-ed piece from May 3rd, we are taken back…

Market Recap: Explosive Rally…Yawn

The Reformed Broker, AKA Pedro Cerrano, here with today’s Market Recap… Either the bulls brought their “A” Game or the bears forgot to set their alarms, ’cause the action today was up from the open, with the DJIA up roughly 2% all day.  Here’s the 3:30 look at the Dow: As of the close, we…

This Just In: Over 100 Applicants for PPIP

Treasury Announces Receipt of Applications to Become Fund Managers under Public Private Investment Program Washington, DC — The Treasury Department today announced the receipt of more than 100 unique applications from potential fund managers interested in participating in the Legacy Securities portion of the Public Private Investment Program (PPIP).  A variety of institutions applied, including…

"Green Shoots" Are For Pandas

Lets put some overused terms out of their misery, a la “Hay is for Horses”: “Green Shoots” are for Panda Bears “Bailouts” are for Leaky Boats “Bonuses” are for Arcade Games “Treasury Departments” are for Countries That Actually Have Money “TARPs” are for Major League Baseball Rain Delays “Deflation” is for Pool Floats “Swaps” are…