Five agencies sign off but the battle of interpretation has just begun
Finance
Markets Slump as Washington Standoff Deepens
Stocks fall in U.S., Europe, Asia
Foroohar: The Fed Is Making the Two Americas Problem Worse
The Federal Reserve Bank isn’t supposed to be political. But, of course, it is. Just look at the recent decision to delay “tapering,” or scaling back the $85 billion a month asset buying spree that the bank has been on for …
Explaining the Financial Crisis: Why Do We Still Not Know What Happened?
Five years after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy kicked off the largest economic dislocation in the U.S. since the Great Depression, we are still debating what needs to be done to make the financial system safer. We are also still …
Busting Steve Cohen: How a Minor Charge Threatens a Major Figure
After years of investigations, wiretaps, and coercing cooperation from numerous witnesses, the government’s big insider trading case against hedge fund impresario and long-time target Steve Cohen may come down to a single …
Rewiring the Banker Brain
A culture shift is still needed to reconnect finance with the real economy.
Gordon Gekko Lives: New Evidence That Greed Is Rampant on Wall Street
One in four bankers would cheat to make $10 million. This is one of many unsettling findings in a new survey of Wall Streeters. As always, you’re on your own out there.
S&P Upgrade of U.S.: More Proof the Ratings Agency Shouldn’t Play Politics
On Monday ratings giant Standard & Poor’s raised the U.S.’s credit outlook from “negative” to “stable.” That may sound a bit like the equivalent of Arrested Development’s Bluth Company going from “Triple Sell” to “Don’t Buy,” but in these troubled economic times, Americans should take what they can get. Thanks to a housing rebound, stock …
Bernanke’s Dilemma: No Good Moves Left
It could be risky for the Fed to continue its easy-money policy – and dangerous to stop.
This Housing Upturn Looks Like the Real Thing
The previous upturn in housing prices faltered after a year, but all the signs suggest that the current home price recovery will be sustainable.
The Real Significance of the Bitcoin Boom (and Bust)
Online currencies like the Bitcoin are one day likely to alter government policy, just as the bond market did in the 1990s
Can the U.S. Dollar Become Almighty Once Again?
A stronger dollar could be a bellwether of an improving economy and a brighter outlook for U.S. stocks.