Gulag Blog

Lunchtime Links 12-8

(Reader note: still working on the bugs….please click “continue reading” to see all the links)

Banks, U.S. spar over TARP repayment (David Enrich) This is the kind of thing that gives me a better feeling about Tim Geithner and Ben Bernanke. They are hammering banks to raise equity capital to get out of TARP. They have leverage and are using it productively, forcing bank shareholders to eat losses via dilution so that balance sheets are more stable. Great! Stick to your guns guys!

Questioning the unemployment rate (Kaminska, Alphaville) Dennis Gartman doesn’t buy the good news in the jobs report.

FASB wants accounting standards “decoupled” from bank capital rules (Norris, NYT) Can you blame ‘em? Seems to me Bob Herz just wants to be left alone. If regulators want to give banks more slack, fine.

Consumer credit contracts again (Federal Reserve) Though the contraction seems to be moderating. Just the latest improvement in the second derivative. I’m a fan of this trend. As consumers get out of debt, they rebuild their savings.

NY Fed President Dudley says monetary policy can limit leverage (CalculatedRisk) CR hightlights some key sections of Bill Dudley’s most recent speech. On the one hand it’s good to see him talk about the Fed’s ability to prevent credit bubbles by limiting leverage. On the other, he repeats that rates will stay low for an extended period. So the Fed is doing what it does best, inflating the next bubble. This time ’round they say they understand why that’s a problem. Yet they seem unwilling to do anything about it.

Obama to announce new jobs program (Zeleny, NYT) Including a cash for caulkers program….

BofA CEO candidate under scrutiny (Nadgir/Comlay/Eder, Reuters) Greg Curl was one of two names discussed at Judge Rakoff’s famous hearing back in August…

Greece faces ratings downgrade over spiraling deficit (Atkins/Oakley/Hope, FT) Alphaville is all over this story.

Don’t try this at home…

Missed connection (Craigslist)

Late for work…

Tags: credit bubbles, Dudley, fasb, Greece, TARP

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