Updates: These short positions GS took are the AIG CDS’ we lost billions on?! Golden Slacks getting hammered by SEC fraud charges…
Update: Oh shxt! I didnt realize the short positions they are talking about are the damn AIG CDS!!! Oh snap! These are the frakkin CDS we lost BILLIONS on via AIG! h/t doc holiday:
Skeptical CPA: December 2008Re: “Some of AIG’s speculative bets were tied to a group of [CDOs] named ‘Abacus,’ created by [GSG]. … In what amounted to a side bet on the value of these holdings, AIG agreed to pay [GSG] if the mortgage debt declined in value and would receive money is it rose. … The plan has resulted in banks in North America and Europe emerging as winners: They have kept the collateral they previously received from AIG and received the rest of the securities’ value in the form of cash from Maiden Lane III. … It also has been a double boon to banks and financial institutions that specifically bought protection on now shaky mortgage securities and are effectively being made whole on those positions by AIG and the [Fed]”, my emphasis, Serena Ng, Carrick Mollenkamp & Michael Siconolfi at the WSJ, 10 December 2008.”
Update: Cramer is all over CNBC saying his confidential high sources say GS had a position , long, in the CDO, really laying it on shilling for Golden, really sad. Saying its caveat emptor the German bank who took losses is responsible, while he is saying GS was long the position. Shill Jim shill. wow some guy(silvan raines, sp?) says Cramer takes money from GS to his face on the air just now, heh.
Update: Here is Boehner stmt, he calls GS Pres Obamas top Wall St Ally, oohhh, nice:
“These are very serious charges against a key supporter of President Obama’s bill to create a permanent Wall Street bailout fund. Despite President Obama’s rhetoric, his permanent bailout bill gives Goldman Sachs and other big Wall Street banks a permanent, taxpayer-funded safety net by designating them ‘too big to fail.’ Just whose side is President Obama on?
“Instead of permanent bailouts for President Obama’s Wall Street allies, Republicans believe the best way to protect taxpayers is by reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that sparked the meltdown by giving high-risk loans to people who couldn’t afford it.”
NOTE: Goldman Sachs was President Obama’s top Wall Street contributor during the 2008 election cycle, donating nearly $1 million to his campaign.
Update: John Boehner GOP minority leader House, just put a wicked spin on that ball, his statement said these charges against GS a partner in Pres Obamas Fin Reg Plan are very concerning, that the FIn Reg Reform Bill will protect GS as too big to fail, Boehner said, whose side is President Obama on? oooooohhhh!! ^5 to Boehner
Update: So I was thinking the Volcker Rule is gonna make a BIG comeback off this, ya know? I mean WSJ was just declaring it dead, again, this week and I do not see how the banks are gonna fight Volcker Rule and the Consumer Protection Thingy in the face of the headlines the lamestream put together off this. And it is things like this that kill the markets for everyone, thanks GS you frakkers.
12:51pm EST: DOW down 153 now, back under 11k, like Spinal Tap, it goes to eleven..that’s about all that number was worth…S&P back under the big 1200 the traders were so excited about…GLD, OIL, all down…
Update: Steve Liesman – Paulson’s right hand man, Pelligrini, was source of confirmation for the fraud charges in re his selection of the ‘lousy’ subprime securities that went into the CDO. He left Paulson in 2009. Steve says what Paulson did is likely not illegal, the issue is disclosure and that is all on GS…
Paging Andrew Cuomo, will Andrew Cuomo please file an indictment on the white courtesy phone….
Update: WSJ has the SEC complaint up in pdf here
Update Q/A Adam Schapiro of FoxBiz asks other fin firms did this, on synthetic CDOs like Deutsche Bank, are they facing charges?
ongoing investigation is the answer
DOW is tanking, down 75 now, GS down 20 (12%)
Q- Why Paulson not charged?
A- Paulson didnt make the representation to the long investors, GS did.
Update:11:11 am est: SEC conf call LIVE on CNBC now!
they chose which MBS would make up this CDO, J Paulson had significant role in building product, had incentive to choose worst rated MBS to put in the CDO and then they took a short position against it
the prospectus for the long investors in the CDO revealed none of this including Paulsons role..
long investors lost $1b, paulson made $1b
Sing with me!
Karma chameleon baby
CNBC Chyron: SEC charges GS with FRAUD ON SUBPRIME SECURITIES
Muhhuuuuhaaaaa!!!!!
SEC: GS misstated, omitted key facts related to subprime products
SEC: (John) Paulson & Co had hand in structuring CDO in question
SEC grew a pair, hoocodanode!
Meredith Whitney: Housing set to fall again, S&P earnings impact…
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Financial collapse and housing: WaMu execs testify before Senate
Update: CSPAN3 livestreaming the hearing here
The Senate seems to have quite a bit of evidence suggesting the WaMu team deliberately securitized bad bad bad loans as ‘great!’ loans..
WSJ live blogging it here
“The worst managed business I had seen in my career.” That is how Washington Mutual’s former president described his company’s home loan division.
The mortgage lending practices at the Seattle thrift take center stage at a Senate hearing this morning.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says WaMu did little to stop the loan fraud and generally risky and highly defective securitization practices in its mortgage businessWaMu’s defense? Former CEO Kerry Killinger says he reigned in his company’s mortgage business and blames his thrift’s collapse on unfair and biased regulators who were willing to save Wall Street firms, but not his own
- 7:11 am
- by Michael Corkery
- Add a Comment
Levin: Killinger made $11 million to $20 million a year, from 2003 to 2007. He was paid $25 million when he stepped down in 2008, as his thrift was going down the tubes. Killinger may have complained about not being part of the Wall Street club (see earlier Deal Journal post). But he sure was paid like one of club.
Update: Maxine Waters D-CA shows the dangers of political influence on the Fed; Market Mover Wednesday: Ben on the Hill
Update: Maxine Waters D-CA, perfectly demonstrated the dangers of the political pressure and influence on the Federal Reserve. Rep. Waters thought the .25 increase in the Discount rate was like the raising of the Fed Funds Rate and would move the yield curve and mortgage rates. Her reaction tells you what will happen when the Fed finally DOES tighten. Imagine what the Critters will do when the Fed tries to sell the MBS it bought@ Fuggedaboudit@ She has Gentle Ben promising not to tighten for an ‘extended period’. If I had any way to bet the Fed wouldnt move for far too long I would…Gawd save us from the inflation…
10:15 am EST: Ben just began his opening remarks to the Financial Services Cmte. The Fed is predicting UE to drop to 6% in…wait for it…2012….consumer prices expected to rise 1-2% from 2010-2012….they still do not believe we can have inflation with declining wages….
I think this cycle will prove them wrong, of course when I buy food and gas no one asks me for the ‘core’ rate, they ask me for more of my money
…in other news new home sales dropped 11% in January…
LiveStream here
Update: $860,000! FL Senate: Moneybomb for Marco!
Update 4: we did it! with DeMint’s moneybomb and the stimulus moneybomb we passed the target! From the Rubio Campaign:
This week, we marked the first anniversary of the Crist-Obama stimulus rally by achieving our goal of raising $1,000 for every $1 billion wasted by the stimulus plan. With your help and the support of Sen. Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund, we raised more than $860,000 in just 10 days from 11,000 donors through the Stimulus Bomb. Together, we sent big government proponents like President Obama and Governor Crist a message that we cannot continue spending money we don’t have and that a return to limited government principles is what will make America strong and prosperous. With the primary still 6 months away, now more than ever we must promote conservative values and endure in our efforts.
In Case You Missed It:
- Charlie Crist has repeatedly declined requests from Marco for a debate of the issues and ideas most important to Floridians. This week, FOX News tried their luck by inviting both Marco and Crist to participate in a nationally televised debate on March 28th. Marco immediately accepted, while Crist remains undecided.
- On Wednesday, FreedomWorks PAC marked the one year anniversary of the Crist-Obama rally with their own rally, which featured Marco. You can watch a short excerpt of his speech here.
- This week, we also launched a new text messaging campaign. Don’t forget to sign up for updates on your mobile phone by texting MARCO to 69467.
Update 3: 2/11- Results of the moneybomb to be released at noon EST today!
Update: 9:21pm EST: WooHoo, we are almost there! $708k so far!!!! Sheer awesomeness!
Update: 9:50am EST: I had a hard time getting through to make my donation, a great sign! Everyone please give what you can!
Today’s the day! Please try to find some cha-ching for Marco, every bit counts. My $7.87 may not be much, but if enough Americans pitch in we can make a difference!
Courtesy of MarcoRubio:
With the February 10th anniversary of the Crist-Obama stimulus rally coming up, Marco launches a Stimulus Fundraising Bomb with a goal of raising $787,000 – $1000 for every $1 billion wasted on the stimulus. Learn more at www.StimulusBomb.com
Marco spoke at the 2010 Freedom Forum in January:
And hey! It’s Time to Start the Countdown!
Update: Market Roundup: House vote on Financial Regulatory Reform Bill today, GE gets an exemption, Geithner wants to exempt TARP 2 from restrictions and Geithner pushing BofA and CITI to payback TARP over objections of FDIC…
Update 2: It’s up on the newslinkys now:
Conyers/Turner/Lofgren/Marshall/Waters/Cohen/Miller (NC)/ Delahunt/Nadler/Fudge Amendment #201 (Defeated 241-188)Revised: Would allow bankruptcy courts to extend repayment periods, reduce excessive interest rates and fees, and adjust the principal balance of the mortgage to a home’s fair market value as necessary to prevent foreclosure and revised to allow the VA, FHA, and RHS to take steps to facilitate mortgage modifications. The amendment is substantively identical to title I, subtitle A and sections 121-123 of subtitle B of H.R. 1106 Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009), which passed the House on March 5, 2009. (See related story)
Update: 1:25 pm EST: The DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED HOUSE has just rejected the Amendment to the Financial Regulatory Reform Bill that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to ‘cramdown’ mortgages. This after we learned yesterday that of a pool of 3 MILLION delinquent homeowners (which is now up to 4.8 million BTW), Treasury/HUD have managed to get the banks to permanently modify 31,000, yes that’s thousand. After that EPIC FAIL I became a SUPPORTER of this Amendment. It is not the BANKS holding these loans anymore peeps!! It is FAN FRED FHA!!!!
That being the case as taxpayers we will take a hit when those loans go to short sale and some investor makes a profit, WE will be bailing out FAN FRED (again) and FHA. Why wouldn’t we just buy the damned bad loans oh yeah that was what Paulson SAID he was gonna do with TARP.
Now WE the taxpayer guaranteeing FAN FRED FHA OWN these loans ALREADY. Why the hell arent we writing them down and taking the hit ONCE. Instead the homeowners get kicked out, it gets sold for less then the mortgage and we STILL give FAN FRED FHA the bailout for the loss. And now some investor with FREE money from the FED has the house and will dump it on the market in another bubble like the one they made that started this mess.
And Tim wants TARP II. But no cramdown. And they think they are ‘progressive’, they say they are Democrats. Obama’s Treasury didn;t want it, therefore it didnt happen, This is Unbelievable.
This despite that IDENTICAL legislation had already PASSED the House once before and died in the Senate. Could not be more clear they are leaving the homeowners out to dry.
And everyone who lives near or is family with or sells goods to those homeowners. We are ALL gonna pay when people keep walking on these loans and getting foreclosed on, we will have ENDLESS bailouts of FAN FRED FHA as those homes are sold and resold in new bubbles and everyone makes a bundle but the taxpers and families who lose their homes. Utterly disgusting.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Should BofA and CITI be allowed to leave TARP? Will they be back like a bad penny?
Look for the cramdown/judicial mod amendment action also. Since Treasury and the banks managed only 31,000 mods out of 3 MILLION loans I now support it, frak ’em.
FINAL RULE ON THE REFORM BILL, including a summary of all 36 amendments made in order by the Rules Committee. Some got votes Thursday night, others will come today. Final passage is expected sometime around noon.
BILL HAS LOOPHOLES, report WSJ’s Damian Paletta and David Enrich, “Buried in a 239-page amendment to the U.S. House of Representatives’ financial regulatory overhaul is a provision that appears to do just one thing: exempts financial-services company USAA from some of the bill’s tougher provisions. The carve-out is one of a number of exceptions that allow companies to avoid fresh scrutiny envisioned by the White House, which is aiming to overhaul the nation’s financial-regulatory apparatus. The beneficiaries run from corporations such as General Electric Co. and Pitney Bowes Inc. to USAA, which caters to members of the military and their families, to so-called fraternal benefit societies.”
Geithner has learned NOTHING from the disasterous capital infusions into the big banks in TARP ROUND ONE. Now in Son of TARP he wants to EXEMPT everyone from the Feinberg pay czar that they installed to curb populist anger that THEY stoked in the first place!!! Which I agree was a stupid stupid limitation but CONGRESS did it, they will do it AGAIN. He cannot protect them. Who believes Congress will not arbitrarily add requirements later?
AND still no word on what the hexx they plan to do about HOUSING which was the FIRST thing named in TARP legislation…purpose was to address foreclosures and stabilize markets.:
WAPO REPORTS POSSIBLE SMALL BIZ TARP — by David Cho, A1, 2 column lead: “The Obama administration plans to channel money from the government’s massive financial bailout program to small businesses as part of an effort to limit the political and economic damage of high unemployment. One plan under consideration involves spinning off a new entity from [TARP] that would give banks access to federal funds without restrictions, including limits on executive pay, as long as the money was used to support loans to small businesses. … As an alternative, officials are prepared to ask Congress to modify TARP itself, easing the pay limits and other restrictions that would be imposed on small-business lenders taking the money, the sources said … Since the summer, the administration has been facing an uncomfortable dynamic in the economy. The ranks of the jobless have been growing, while big financial firms that got taxpayer bailout money have been thriving. In response, officials have been trying to recast TARP as aid for Main Street rather than Wall Street.”
GEITHNER SAYS SMALL BANKS WORRY OF TARP TAINT, reports FT’s Tom Braithwaite: “Tim Geithner, US Treasury secretary, on Thursday advocated exempting small businesses from restrictions attached to the bank bail-out program that Goldman Sachs , Citigroup and other large banks have been anxious to escape. In testimony to the Congressional Oversight Panel, Mr. Geithner said small banks were worried about being ‘stigmatized’ for asking for money from [TARP] and that this was exacerbating a credit crunch for their small business customers. They don’t want to come to do business with the government. ‘They think it’s a sign of weakness, not strength.’”
Geithner also pushed BofA and is pushing CITI paybacks of TARP, IMO to justify TARP 2: The Revenge of TARP!!!, over the objections of the FDIC. As originally reported by Andrew Ross Sorkin in the NYT. In the TARP C.O.P. questioning yesterday Geithner did not deny this. This morning a guest on CNBC noted this is a serious problem. We will post the video. FD: We are BofA/Merrill shareholders and have discussed this ad nauseum here on the site.
Updates: Bernie Sanders I-VT seeks to put hold on Bens renomination; Black Swan says he will shun public life if Ben reconfirmed; Mark Zandi agrees double dip for housing ahead; Flashback: Bernanke in Denial 2005-2007
Update 2: Breaking on CNBC via Politico Bernie Sanders I-VT trying to put hold on Bens renomination hearing tomorrow. But they seem to have the 60 votes they need. Also today Taleb, of the Black Swan said if Ben is reconfirmed he will leave public life, seriously:
Nassim Taleb, the author of “The Black Swan”, said he would retreat from public life if Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gains a second term at the helm of the central bank.”What I am seeing and hearing on the news — the reappointment of Bernanke — is too hard for me to bear,” Taleb wrote on his blog on The Huffington Post.
“I am not blaming Bernanke (he doesn’t even know he doesn’t understand how things work or that the tools he uses are not empirical); it is the Senators appointing him who are totally irresponsible — as if we promoted every doctor who committed malpractice,” he wrote.Taleb wrote he will not take part in interviews in the press and will not go to the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.
“I need to withdraw as immediately as possible into the Platonic tranquility of my library, work on my next book, find solace in science and philosophy, and mull the next step,” he wrote, adding that “I will only (briefly) emerge from my hiatus when the publishers force me to do so upon the publication of the paperback edition of The Black Swan.”…
Update: Boy it is exhausting having these fancy pants academics and/or advisers to MAC and Obama come along and agree with MiM months after we take a position, like being Cassandra, it sucketh big time. Now I just heard Marty Feldstein agreeing on Kudlow too, lol. To be fair Feldstein came out on this in October...sure now that it’s COOL to say there is a double dip ALL the kids wanna do it!
Soon Orszag and Krugman will be the cheese, and we all know the cheese stands alone.
Mark Zandi of Moodys (who will be at the big job summit this week, and who is at every Nancy Pelosi jobs bill panel as well), the man who advised MAC and later the Congress on the stimulus, is now forecasting a second leg down in housing, a big one, the one we and others have been yammering on about for months.
Maybe now that one of the chosen few who get listened to (despite often being quite wrong) and whose ideas are often quite unsuccessful (see WSJ on Orszag and Stiglitz’ EPIC FAIL on the risk posed by FAN FRED that somehow gets them promoted and invited to all the summits and now they help design all our economic policy and even our healthcare system!!) is on board with the fact that housing is in imminent danger of collapsing under the continuing deterioration of employment and the failure of the mo mods. Well maybe now they will do the damned HOLC and get it done.
FDR did it, in out boom,. Buy the home loans from the banks,w e already own them in FAN FRED anyway, write down 20% everyone underwater, boom, done. Let homeowners pay it off via their taxes to the government. Give a payroll tax holiday. Stop the uber spending in areas that don’t help the underlying economy. The entire 78 billion directed to housing is still sitting there waiting to be paid out on permanent mods that aren’t happening.
The meltdown of the U.S. housing market is not over yet, and home prices will soon start trekking downward again as a flood of foreclosures looms, a well-known economist said Wednesday.
Home prices, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, will trough in the third quarter of 2010 after declining 38 percent, Zandi said. The index peaked in the second quarter of 2006 and hit a trough in the first quarter of 2009, a drop of about 32 percent. Home prices in many regions have been rising.That is because foreclosure sales fell over the summer and fall as mortgage servicers have tried to put stressed homeowners into the Home Affordable Modification Program and other modification plans, he said. “This lull in foreclosures sales has resulted in the price gains in the past few months,” he said.
“Foreclosure sales will increase, and home prices will resume their decline by early 2010 as mortgage servicers figure out who will not qualify for a modification,” he said.
Zandi said 7.5 million foreclosure sales will have taken place between 2006 and 2011. The majority of these sales, however, have not emerged yet, with 4.8 million foreclosure sales expected between 2009 and 2011….