The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report


Book Description

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.




Financial Crises Explanations, Types, and Implications


Book Description

This paper reviews the literature on financial crises focusing on three specific aspects. First, what are the main factors explaining financial crises? Since many theories on the sources of financial crises highlight the importance of sharp fluctuations in asset and credit markets, the paper briefly reviews theoretical and empirical studies on developments in these markets around financial crises. Second, what are the major types of financial crises? The paper focuses on the main theoretical and empirical explanations of four types of financial crises—currency crises, sudden stops, debt crises, and banking crises—and presents a survey of the literature that attempts to identify these episodes. Third, what are the real and financial sector implications of crises? The paper briefly reviews the short- and medium-run implications of crises for the real economy and financial sector. It concludes with a summary of the main lessons from the literature and future research directions.




Financial Crises


Book Description

The lingering effects of the economic crisis are still visible—this shows a clear need to improve our understanding of financial crises. This book surveys a wide range of crises, including banking, balance of payments, and sovereign debt crises. It begins with an overview of the various types of crises and introduces a comprehensive database of crises. Broad lessons on crisis prevention and management, as well as the short-term economic effects of crises, recessions, and recoveries, are discussed.




Containing Financial Crisis


Book Description

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) The Underlying Financial Problems: Complex Finance: The House of Cards: Structured Investment Vehicles (SIVs); Metro¿s Credit Enhancement; What Makes a Financial Crisis?; (3) Government Interventions; Open Market Operations and Monetary Policy; The Discount Window; Term Auction Facility (TAF); Treasury¿s ¿Super-SIV¿ Proposal; Provision of New Capital to Financial Institutions: Bear Stearns; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; AIG; The $700 Billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (P.L. 110-343); Increases in Government Guarantees and Insurance; Commercial Paper; Citigroup; (4) Policy Issues: Are Regulators¿ Tools Adequate?: Information; Speculation. Charts and tables.




Global Waves of Debt


Book Description

The global economy has experienced four waves of rapid debt accumulation over the past 50 years. The first three debt waves ended with financial crises in many emerging market and developing economies. During the current wave, which started in 2010, the increase in debt in these economies has already been larger, faster, and broader-based than in the previous three waves. Current low interest rates mitigate some of the risks associated with high debt. However, emerging market and developing economies are also confronted by weak growth prospects, mounting vulnerabilities, and elevated global risks. A menu of policy options is available to reduce the likelihood that the current debt wave will end in crisis and, if crises do take place, will alleviate their impact.




International Financial Crisis, The: Have The Rules Of Finance Changed?


Book Description

The recent global financial crisis has caused massive upheavals worldwide. The papers in this volume analyze whether financial principles seem to have shifted in recent years, and what that may mean for international financial markets and regulation. What “broke” in the current crisis? Is there no “playbook” on how to respond to systemic crises? What is the optimal role of the state in dealing with crises? How should asset bubbles be addressed in the future? Do we need a major overhaul of governance in the industry? What means exist to address systemic crises? What reforms are needed? These and related issues are discussed by an impressive list of well-known scholars, policymakers and practitioners, with an emphasis on the implications for public policy.




All the Devils Are Here


Book Description

Hailed as "the best business book of 2010" (Huffington Post), this New York Times bestseller about the 2008 financial crisis brings the devastation of the Great Recession to life. As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on Wall Street, Main Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue? On greedy traders, misguided regulators, sleazy subprime companies, cowardly legislators, or clueless home buyers? According to Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, two of America's most acclaimed business journalists, many devils helped bring hell to the economy. All the Devils Are Here goes back several decades to weave the hidden history of the financial crisis in a way no previous book has done. It explores the motivations of everyone from famous CEOs, cabinet secretaries, and politicians to anonymous lenders, borrowers, analysts, and Wall Street traders. It delves into the powerful American mythology of homeownership. And it proves that the crisis ultimately wasn't about finance at all; it was about human nature. Just as McLean's The Smartest Guys in the Room was hailed as the best Enron book on a crowded shelf, so will All the Devils Are Here be remembered for finally making sense of the financial meltdown and its consequences.




Financial Crisis Containment and Government Guarantees


Book Description

ÔThis enlightening volume provides an invaluable guide for those perplexed by the seemingly intractable problems of financial crises, sovereign distress, and government guarantees. Contributors include an all-star cast of leading figures in the field. Highly recommended.Õ Ð Geoffrey Miller, New York University, US ÔThe history of the 2007Ð09 and possibly beyond near-global financial crisis needs to be examined carefully in order to identify and understand the causes, the transmission across countries, the harm to macroeconomies, the public policies adopted, the effectiveness of such policies, and the lessons to be learned to prevent or at least mitigate future such crises. This volume contributes to this task. It brings together under one cover the analyses of the various aspects of the crisis by experts in each area. It should be priority reading for serious students of the crisis.Õ Ð George G. Kaufman, Loyola University Chicago, US ÔThe combination of the skills of the lawyer and of the economist has proved increasingly fruitful, developing both understanding and policy in many areas of life, such as accident prevention, crime prevention, and healthcare. This book follows the precedent of these areas and assembles a group of lawyers and economists who by their contributions, consider how best to deal with financial crises, and how to make their future occurrence less likely. It is both intellectually stimulating and practically important. The authors and editors are to be congratulated.Õ Ð Geoffrey Wood, Cass Business School and University of Buckingham, UK Financial Crisis Containment and Government Guarantees analyses the international communityÕs commitment to forging enhanced, well thought-out, mechanisms for containing systemic risks in the context of a highly interconnected global financial framework which incorporates ongoing financial innovation. While use of government guarantees is a central theme, the book also analyses the roles played by prudential regulators, central banks, deposit insurers and treasuries in dealing with the crisis. The book examines how governments, central banks, regulators and deposit insurance agencies have worked together to contain the global financial crisis. Additionally, it focuses on efforts to overcome ongoing obstacles, as well as the most important proposals to improve safety nets, both at the national level and internationally. This concise and detailed book will strongly appeal to students in law, economics and finance, law practitioners, policymakers in central banks and ministries of finance, as well as deposit protection agencies and regulatory agencies.




This Time Is Different


Book Description

An empirical investigation of financial crises during the last 800 years.




Firefighting


Book Description

"Should be required reading for all policy makers.” —Warren Buffett From the three primary architects of the American policy response to the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression, a magnificent big-picture synthesis--from why it happened to where we are now. In 2018, Ben Bernanke, Tim Geithner, and Hank Paulson came together to reflect on the lessons of the 2008 financial crisis ten years on. Recognizing that, as Ben put it, "the enemy is forgetting," they examine the causes of the crisis, why it was so damaging, and what it ultimately took to prevent a second Great Depression. And they provide to their successors in the United States and the finance ministers and central bank governors of other countries a valuable playbook for reducing the damage from future financial crises. Firefighting provides a candid and powerful account of the choices they and their teams made during the crisis, working under two presidents and with the leaders of Congress.