Juggling Dynamite

Not different this time–same players and behaviors, different cycle.

In 2003-07 it was reckless lending, securitization and derivatives that drove realty prices off the leverage cliff. In 2010-2016 the buyers are foreigners and financial intermediaries (who were bailed out by governments and central bank liquidity injections after the 2008 implosion) who have been buying up houses with record levels of borrowed ‘funny money’ and driving up prices to unsustainable (un-affordable) levels all around the world.  Won’t end well again.

Here is a direct video link.

Brazen nepotism and self-serving policies are the norm in the revolving door world of finance and its regulators–because they have gotten away with it so handsomely to date.   You can read “In Bed with Wall Street” for many sordid details.  Here’s just one:

Finra (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) is the Wall Street funded regulator charged with overseeing investment brokers (approx. 630K of them) and their firms (approx. 4,250).  A 22-person board roughly balanced between public and industry members is charged with ‘protecting investors by making sure the United States securities industry operates fairly and honestly’.  Sounds good right?

Today Finra reports its board mix as 10 industry members and 12 ‘public’ representatives.  Well that’s the PR anyway.  See Finance Execs fill ‘public’ board seats at FINRA:

“…if you’re wondering why things don’t always turn out so well for Mom and Pop when they entrust money to a broker, you might ponder the balance of power on Finra’s board…

Among the 12 purportedly “public” representatives on its board, Finra has a guy described by Bloomberg as “a leader in financial services technology,” another who spent 35 years at J.P. Morgan, an insurance executive who once worked at Citigroup and Salomon Brothers, and a fellow who founded a private investment firm.”

These are considered the non-industry, neutral members representing the public’s best interest!!  Honestly, if you haven’t looked into the finance mosh pit, you can’t imagine how bad it is.  Take your worst-case guesses and triple them.

Cleaning this cesspool up has to be job number 1.  Our collective future depends on it.

Canadian banks are attempting to whistle past the graveyard of rising loan defaults even as they lower loan loss reserves to boast near term earnings.  Safalow summarizes facts well in this clip.  Here is a link to the investigative reporting piece done on Home Capital (that Safalow refers to). Worthwhile read.

Bradley Safalow, Founder and CEO at PAA Research joins BNN for a look at why he’s bearish on Home cCpital Group.Here is a direct video link.

And this chart of Canadian bank shares (TSX far right) year to date change relative to the banking industry in other major economies is worthy of reflection.  Are Canadian banks miracle workers or just lagging in the credit bubble correction cycle? Hmmmm.