Australia’s Big Four banks are at the core of our entire economy, says Evan Jones, and the idea that they’re “in competition” with each other is a farce. Together, these institutions wield enormous power.
Banks 
The next meltdown is coming in 2012
It may not be the global Apocalypse predicted by certain Hollywood action films, but there will be an epic disaster in 2012, says Paul Farrell: the next big Wall St crash.
Bank exec bonuses helped by Rudd’s rules
Kevin Rudd may publicly deride extreme capitalism — but, fortunately for our bankers, the Federal Government’s policies appear to be aiding and abetting it.
Goldman Sachs outsources lending to charity
You can’t but help be very very cynical about the news that Goldman Sachs and Warren Buffett are going to rustle up half a billion bucks and lend it to small businesses.
US finance sector’s sick reality
In the past month, 24 US banks have failed, two big finance companies have gone into bankruptcy, followed by a small credit card provider. But American investors don’t care; they know if the banks are small enough, the regulators will clean up.
Is the US Fed about to get neutered?
US Democrat senators are looking to overhaul the country’s financial system, stripping the Federal Reserve of its supervisory powers and creating three new agencies to protect consumers and police banks. You can read the whole proposed Bill here.
Banks: God’s work or a highway to hell
So if bankers are doing “god’s work as the Goldman Sachs boss says they are, where’s the Devil in all of this? Well, judging by the number of banks going belly up in the US, death is definitely in the air.
High fliers at the core of the Telstra shareholder revolt
Telstra’s “shareholder revolt” has nothing to do with mum and dad investors: the criticism over the Telco’s structural separation is all coming from a clique of some of Australia’s wealthiest people and the big banks.
Which bank? Definitely not a big one.
US investors lost confidence in large banks getting bailed out by the government. Community banks are cashing in and cleaning up, advertising directly to local customers angry about large CEO payouts and irresponsible investing.
revealed 
Goldman Sachs secretly banked on the US housing crash
How did Goldman Sachs emerge from the financial crisis in such good shape? By simultaneously selling more than $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities, while secretly betting that the US housing market would crash.
Lending a cot case, or is it?
If you had to judge the health of the Australian economy by the amount of lending going on, you’d be entitled to call for an ambulance to revive a fading patient after looking at today’s report from the Reserve Bank on private credit for September.
ANZ out-gouges the NAB
Like the NAB, the ANZ has survived the financial crisis looking rudely health. Which is impressive, considering it suffered more damage from self-inflicted lending disasters than any of the Big Four.
NAB continues its billion dollar profit gouge
With such a strong result under its belt, you would have thought the NAB might have had the grace to mention the help from the federal government and Reserve Bank.
‘KangaSupa’ a one-shot wonder for many policy ills
A capital guaranteed national superannuation fund that only invested in fixed income securities would actually serve as an effective surrogate for a publicly owned bank, writes Christopher Joye.
How Uncle Sam blew the trillion-dollar trade of century
Sure, the White House had no choice but to step in to save banks in the wake of the financial crisis, says Mark Fisher, but it failed to see the opportunity to make the trade of the century for the American taxpayer.
Political economy: How best to regulate the financial system
It has been observed that if a bank is too big to fail it is too large to live, writes Henry Thornton. Goldman Sachs is in the class of organisations that should be allowed to fail.
New rules for bailed-out bankers revealed
The US Treasury and Federal Reserve have announced their new rules on executive pay at big and bailed-out banks: many will have their salaries capped at $500,000, total compensation will be cut by 50%, and cash guarantees will be restructured as stock.
Country clubs and corporate jets: perks continue at bailed-out banks
When the US government was bailing out their banks to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars last year, big banking executives were receiving more perks and bonuses than usual, according to new corporate disclosures.
Call to break up UK banks resonates here
Yesterday, the head of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, said he wants a break-up of banks to prevent them becoming “too important to fail”. It’s a message with some echoes in Australia.
How Wall Street makes its billions
All the major Wall St banks’ profits come from trading, but who is on the receiving loss end of trades? asks Philip Greenspun. Banks don’t just shift Federal money around and skim off profits for themselves, do they?
Krugman: Big Banks are still buggered
Don’t be fooled by their cash splashing bonuses and reported “record profits”, says Paul Krugman: the big banks are still in deep poo; they’re just really good at pretending they’re not.
How Australia dodged the GFC bullet
Pat on the bank everyone, Australia was the only developed country to miss a technical recession in the GFC. Major shout outs go to China, the banks and our growing population. But will other nations copy our recovery?
Consumer confidence surges to 28-month high
Are Australian consumers heading for a fall because they have become overly optimistic? Or are they now more resilient than they were in the first few months of the year?
Essay: Labor acts to keep the bankers honest
The Labor Party has a long and colourful history of trying to keep Australia’s banks on the straight and narrow. Has it succeeded? asks Christopher Joye.
Don’t want risky business? Hire women
Banks should recruit more ladies in this messy GFC world. Women are better money managers, aren’t as overconfident and don’t have the pumping levels of testosterone that encourage risk taking. But will feminisation mean less pay?
