Bank of America is one of the systemically important financial institutions that has not been pre-selected to survive the next phase of the financial crisis. That's why it has to cut 16,000 employees and close branches to survive. They can start with any fraudulent mortgage document processors and loan-origination idiots left over from their takeover of Countrywide. The good news for BofA is that the most recent quarter shows it can be profitable on lower revenue.
I mentioned above that surviving institutions have been pre-selected. Goldman Sachs has been pre-selected because it tells governments and central banks what to do. JPMorgan Chase has been pre-selected because many political leaders put their assets there. Wells Fargo has been pre-selected because Warren Buffett owns its shares and raises lots of money for certain incumbent politicians. Any bank other than those three will be subject to forcible seizure, liquidation, and/or consolidation if it can't meet its required capital adequacy ratios in the event of a credit market seizure.
Bank of America's executives should be running scared, as should those of any other bank I didn't mention in the above paragraph. I wonder how many Merrill Lynch people would love to IPO themselves away from the BAC white elephant.
Full disclosure: One credit card account at Bank of America. One cash account at Wells Fargo. No relationships with any other firms mentioned. No equity positions in the stocks of any companies mentioned.
I mentioned above that surviving institutions have been pre-selected. Goldman Sachs has been pre-selected because it tells governments and central banks what to do. JPMorgan Chase has been pre-selected because many political leaders put their assets there. Wells Fargo has been pre-selected because Warren Buffett owns its shares and raises lots of money for certain incumbent politicians. Any bank other than those three will be subject to forcible seizure, liquidation, and/or consolidation if it can't meet its required capital adequacy ratios in the event of a credit market seizure.
Bank of America's executives should be running scared, as should those of any other bank I didn't mention in the above paragraph. I wonder how many Merrill Lynch people would love to IPO themselves away from the BAC white elephant.
Full disclosure: One credit card account at Bank of America. One cash account at Wells Fargo. No relationships with any other firms mentioned. No equity positions in the stocks of any companies mentioned.
