Opinion: Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) Would be Devastated by Volcker Plan
I’m not sure why we’re even wasting our time with Paul Volcker and the so-called Volcker Plan, as there’s no way it’ll have a chance to become law, as it would devastate Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC).
It wouldn’t be devastating simple from losing the business associated with investment banking, but it would be an enormous weight upon the organizations to extract what has already been painstakingly integrated into the companies, and is still being integrated.
Another problem with all of this is the unproven assertion that investment banks in general was the problem which caused the banks to nearly collapse, when in fact it was the bad mortgages that started the financial avalanche, some of which came from the misguided rules from the Community Reinvestment Act which forces banks to originate loans to applicants based upon nothing else than they are a minority, regardless of their ability to pay.
Some would challenge that, but the reality is percentages of mortgage applicants have to be minorities, and if loans aren’t made to them banks can have their charters taken away. This sets up the banks to have to make dubious loans, as well as set up for failure those receiving the loans, as they aren’t able to pay them when any unsuspected difficult time comes like it has over the last couple of years. That was a large problem in bringing down the banking system, and one which continues to be brushed aside because it isn’t politically correct to point out.
The bottom line is the Volcker plan does nothing to address this and is being used as a tool to keep our attention on the risk associated with investment banking and executive bonuses rather than the overall underlying causes of the mortgage fallout, which was in a big way consequences coming from forcing banks to make loans to those that in reality wouldn’t have otherwise been offered loans. In other words, it was a government-induced problem, and not solely banks engaging in risky behavior coming about from offering big bonuses to their people. That was a part of it, but a smaller part than is being asserted.
The Volcker Plan really isn’t much more than a call to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, which some Senators have already suggested.
But volcker goes further, throwing out the idea hedge funds and private equity would be under government oversight as well, and if they failed they would be allowed to, but just under the management the “resolution authority,” a new entity Obama wants to create for that purpose.
As you get deeper into the proposed plan by Volcker, it becomes easily apparent there is no way this will become a reality. So to waste the time that is being spent on it as if it is a has a chance of passing and becoming law is ridiculous, to say the least.
While it’s obviously a trial-balloon, there is really no hold it’s gaining, and to even continue on with it is a waste of time and resources.
It’s just another smokescreen from Obama who seems to be clueless as to what to do next, as throwing money at the problem hasn’t worked, and people are growing fatigued and cynical as to government attempts to fix what the market itself is able to do much better.
All this is is a diversion meant to buy some time, but in the end we’re going to have to deal with this as a business problem and not a government one.
Having to grab the 82-year-old Volcker out of obscurity to keep this in the public eye seems to speak to the panic the Obama administration is in, and that they have run out of answers. That’s good, as the government was never meant to be the one to give answers in the market.
The Volcker Plan, if it was even considered legitimate, would be devastating to the banking industry. But since it can’t even be taken as a serious attempt to address real problems, and it is just another group of regulations which would hinder financial institutions, there is nothing there but a giant waste of time by politicians still looking to gain some political capital before the issue dies down even more. You would think they had better things to do, but that would be asking too much of the majority of our representatives.




Unbelievably racist. Grammatically atrocious (…wouldn’t be devastating simple from…banks in general was the problem…banks in general was the problem…). I can't count the number of run-on sentences.
The overwhelming driver of unsafe residential lending originated with the insatiable demand for securitizable debt instruments at investment banks. All other contributing factors were minor by comparison.
This column reflects poorly on the intelligence of Gary Bourgeault and the value of American Banking News.
CRA did not force banks to loan money to borrowers who were not credit worthy. “Nearly $3 of every $4 in subprime loans made from 2004 through 2007 came from lenders who were exempt from the law.” http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/most-subpr...
The CRA was passed in 1977 but the problem loans were all written in the 200″s after the repeal of Glass-Steagall.
” • Did the 1977 legislation, or any other legislation since, require banks to not verify income or payment history of mortgage applicants?
• 50% of subprime loans were made by mortgage service companies not subject comprehensive federal supervision; another 30% were made by banks or thrifts which are not subject to routine supervision or examinations. How was this caused by either CRA or GSEs ?
• What about “No Money Down” Mortgages (0% down payments) ? Were they required by the CRA? Fannie? Freddie?
• Explain the shift in Loan to value from 80% to 120%: What was it in the Act that changed this traditional lending requirement?
• Did any Federal legislation require real estate agents and mortgage writers to use the same corrupt appraisers again and again? How did they manage to always come in at exactly the purchase price, no matter what?
• Did the CRA require banks to develop automated underwriting (AU) systems that emphasized speed rather than accuracy in order to process the greatest number of mortgage apps as quickly as possible?
• How exactly did legislation force Moody’s, S&Ps and Fitch to rate junk paper as Triple AAA?
• What about piggy back loans? Were banks
required by Congress to lend the first mortgage and do a HELOC for the
down payment — at the same time?
• Internal bank memos showed employees how to cheat the system to get poor mortgages prospects approved that shouldn’t have been: Titled How to Get an “Iffy” loan approved at JPM Chase. (Was circulating that memo also a FNM/FRE/CRA requirement?)
Caseshillerpricedeclines_2
• The four biggest problem areas for housing (by price decreases) are: Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Miami, Florida, and San Diego, California. Explain exactly how these affluent, non-minority regions were impacted by the Community Reinvesment Act ?
• Did the GSEs require banks to not check credit scores? Assets? Income?
• What was it about the CRA or GSEs that mandated fund
managers load up on an investment product that was hard to value,
thinly traded, and poorly understood
• What was it in the Act that forced banks to
make “interest only” loans? Were “Neg Am loans” also part of the
legislative requirements also?
• Consider this February 2003 speech by
Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozlilo at the American Bankers National Real
Estate Conference. He advocated zero down payment mortgages — was that a CRA requirement too, or just a grab for more market share, and bad banking?
The answer to all of the above questions is no, none, and nothing at all.” http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/10/misunderst...
Your article is so inaccurate that its credibility is seriously in doubt.
Spot on article. Address the issues of poor broker and correspondant regulation in the mortgage industry, and cdo's and credit default swaps in the insurance industry. Investment banking and proprietary trading was not what caused the financial crisis. Banks must practive sound lending/underwriting practices. Volcer Plan does absoultely nothing to address this.
The comment it's not racist it's a simple matter of free market policy, I'll like U to check on Glenn Beck @ fox news every day to inform yourself. Besides what happened is due to the fact that, the best way for socialists to rise to power is to destroy a country economy, that's what happened here. U should learn more about the abuses of Dodd, Frank & others leftist in congress, Do U know who Accorn is?, pls inform yourself.
President Obama, Bernanke, and Jim Cramer are in a MOVIE about hedge funds called “Stock Shock.” Even though the movie mostly focuses on Sirius XM stock being naked-short-sold to near bankruptcy (5 cents/share), I liked it because it exposes the dark side of Wall Street and reveals some of their secrets. DVD is everywhere but cheaper at http://www.stockshockmovie.com
Thank you for calling out the basic flaw with this “article”. I only hope that other readers will take your point and facts seriously, you make a good argument. Unfortunately I suspect that it will only be met with inchoate denial. I think people are still under the sway of free market libertarian fundamentalism and believe that if we did away with government that a new dawn of prosperity will emerge. In my view this is just another utopic fantasy similar to communism or al quaeda
Ella, U R so correct !!!!!!!!
to Pembquist: why don't U make your own fantasy a reality and move to Cuba or Chavez Venezuela, why U want all of us to fall in the same garbage can?
garufa,
Please read what I wrote again. I thought I made it clear that I thought communism is a utopic fantasy. This is a criticism of communism as being an unachievable fantasy that rationalizes violence for some future perfect world that cannot exist. Since I believe this it makes no sense for me to go to Cuba or Venezuela. Cuba is a communist country, Venezuela is a country with a charismatic fruit loop who uses communistic rhetoric to strengthen/rationalize his power, which is increasingly totalitarian. I don't want us to fall into any garbage can.
Do you believe that the financial crisis was caused by minorities getting loans at the behest of the government? I do not. I believe that the root cause is the trajectory of our financial system in the direction of a pre great depression financial system dressed up with computers but at root the same system that has been going on for hundreds of years. You should read “The Madness of Crowds and Extraordinary Popular Delusions” it is about financial bubbles and it was written in the 19th century and it could have been written today.
TO ELLA : U are very innocent, the socialists in congress are not going to wright memos or issue legislation to force the banks to lend, everything was done in private, look, U need to acquire some experience before U make comments like that, the first step is to watch Fox news from New York every day, U'll be glad U did
also read some good books out there. THINK FREEDOM
Pembquist
Sorry, I'll read the book U mentioned, good title. Took your point, My opinion is that the financial crisis has being in the stove for many, many years, it started with Clinton & it was intensify after Bush took office, specially after he was elected for a second term, unfortunately he was sleeping at the wheels. I'll like to continue the discussion but I must go now, good luck.
When you have used car salesman originating real estate loans and they don't even know how to read their own tax returns and now you want him to help someone decide if they could afford a home or not? The lenders came out and offered all of these exotic loan products. NINANJ. . . do you know what that means in the mortgage biz? NoIncomeNoAssetsNoJob . . Imagine, 700+ credit can now buy a house, 100% loan, no money down, seller paid all of closing. . and they came to the title company with .10 cents to close. It was cheaper for some people to buy than rent. .When you rent you have to at least pay first and last. . . Imagine. . . . Oh, and the realtor wanted them in a bigger house, so, because of this loan product the Loan Officer put them into a house they would never qualify with full documentation. !!
People have to quit blaming the “Broker” we did not invent these products. . . there are many good people that have been in this business (myself for 18 years) that have lost their businesses, savings, 401K's etc. . that have been hurt by this. .
We all know what banks did and what they are doing they are taking all the money they can't and then they will fail and blaim a regulation. they are making money with the foreclosure, they get theyr money from the MIP or TARP and then they sale the properties amonthem really cheap and then they sale those houses for twise what they bough them to consumers
We all know what banks did and what they are doing they are taking all the money they can't and then they will fail and blaim a regulation. they are making money with the foreclosure, they get theyr money from the MIP or TARP and then they sale the properties amonthem really cheap and then they sale those houses for twise what they bough them to consumers
We all know what banks did and what they are doing they are taking all the money they can't and then they will fail and blaim a regulation. they are making money with the foreclosure, they get theyr money from the MIP or TARP and then they sale the properties amonthem really cheap and then they sale those houses for twise what they bough them to consumers