Steven Hansen

Financial World: Atlantic Widens While Pacific Narrows

the L is beginning to appear.

we have too much money being contributed by the financial lobby - no one has the balls to take this on, as it will assure that person will not hold office during re-elections.

When Is Insider Trading Legal? The Strange Case of Stephen Friedman

John, when we have laws which says anyone who is in public service or works for any gse must use blind investing methods - then the world will be rotating properly.

we all see america as basically corruption free, but based on volumes of money - we are the most corrupt on the planet.

time to look into the mirror.

More Goldman Outrage

this type of crap continues to bog down our legal system. i have a problem arbitrating between thieves.

ING Shows How Bank Dismemberment Is Done

i am thinking along the lines of Tack.

i believe that we need to return to separation of banking activities - and eliminate bank holding companies.

during times of economic instability, the current system is most at risk of failure.

Mixed Outlook for Banks and Financials

John,
nothing would surprise me about the banking system. this zirp creates a very large updraft, and part of its intention was to give the banks some breathing room to get healthy.

and this recovery is mostly for the big boys. i am sure you John are picking up some of the scraps (i am finding a few myself). the little guy has had his butt fried - and is reluctant to feast to heavily for fear the rug will be pulled out from under him.

so we are left with housing as the only thing for the little guy to get back some of his wealth. and of course this is the hardest thing to fix.

What Stories Aren't Being Told?

the story is the American people who want to be entertained and do not want to understand.

MSM works on advertising revenue. MSM media copies formats which attract the most viewers. most viewers do not want real news. this is why we watch CNBC over Bloomberg, Fox over CNN, BBC over Al Jazeera.

Six Signs Economy Is Turning the Corner

although i agree there are signs of the economy getting ready to turn the corner, i am not sure bank profits can be used as one example. banks are artificially being pumped with cheap fed money, accounting smoke and mirrors, innovative and hopefully transitory fed programs, and nearly complete blackout on the status of paper they hold.

they are making money by being allowed to run over my back by a government whose interests is to serve them and not me.

Are CDS a Good Thing?

cds regulatory regimes need to be debated and legislated. our congress would prefer to concentrate on political issues that they understand. i see absolutely no work to examine our regulatory processes which contributed to this crisis.

Goldman Owes Taxpayers More than Just TARP

on the surface, it appears GS should be forced to be a bank with government oversight. if everything was so rosy, i cannot understand why they wanted to be treated as a bank. was it just to profit from the low interest money window? is so they have screwed the taxpayers.

AIG Bailout Exceeds Value of Fort Knox Gold

i just don't get why we keep having this question raised without the government responding. simply let a bunch of people see the gold. this issue is seemingly very easy to dismiss.

it is obvious they have something to hid.

The AIG/Bank Counterparty Scandal Escalates

this is exactly why there needed to be a type of bankruptcy with court, not political supervision of AIG.

The Misuse of Language in the Financial World

your point is well taken. but i would bet that the AIG employment contracts use the word "bonus" to describe these payments.

Taking Issue with David Dreman

you are correct about people who pump stocks right now. there is no certainty. i do not think it is stupid to be buying right now - but it is risky. at the point i am in my life, i can wait until the dust starts settling and bernanke and geithner don't have to appear on tv weekly to soothe the masses.

Why Goldman Sachs Should Return Its TARP Money

the unintended consequences of demanding bailout recipients to tow the line. every action has a reaction.

yes, give the bailout money back.

Geithner's Plan: A Look at the Options

as a trial balloon, why doesn't the banks with the help of a pimco try to market these toxic assets inside of some etf bond fund. if done slowly (not flooding the market), they could establish a market price and the m2m problem would go away.