HSBC

A partial settlement plan has been constructed by a group of state attorneys general and federal regulators. In theory, it addresses banks' flawed mortgage servicing, modification and foreclosure practices. In reality, it just lets the banks off the hook.

HSBC announced late last month that it had put all of its U.S. foreclosures on hold to review their documents -- back in December. So why are its lawyers still pushing cases ahead? HSBC also says it doesn't robo-sign. So why does its annual report mention foreclosure document problems that sound so much like those caused by robo-signing?

HSBC got plenty of attention when it disclosed that it had suspended foreclosures in its annual report Monday. But its not the only bank whose annual report made for interesting reading. The risk disclosures in banks' annual reports shed some light on their attitudes toward the mortgage mess.

Banks' paperwork problems aren't over: In its annual report, HSBC Holdings said it has suspended foreclosures in the U.S. after a government review found documentation problems.

In Hong Kong HSBC shares rose 1.5% before the company's announcement early today in London that it had missed earnings estimates. The gain helped push the Hang Seng Index up 1.4.% In China the Shanghai Composite advanced 0.9% and in Japan the Nikkei 225 Index added 0.9%.

Asian investors brushed aside worries over continuously rising Chinese inflation today, focusing instead on bargain shopping. Energy companies were a major attraction as oil prices surged. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.1% and China's Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.9%. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index edged up 0.6%.

Asian shares were mixed Monday. In China the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7% and in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index edged down 0.3% as investors worried that inflation could rise further in the lead-up to Chinese New Year. However, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.7%.

Five U.K. banks may have to pay hundreds of millions of pounds in a levy that aims to charge them for the risks they pose to the country's economy. The planned bank levy will raise a total of 2.5 billion pounds ($3.59 billion) a year from 2012 onwards, The Wall Street Journal said. The levy has...

Irving Picard, trustee for the victims of the Madoff fraud, has a new target – other Madoff clients. Picard has filed lawsuits against hundreds of defendants saying they profited from Madoff's giant Ponzi scheme, withdrawing more than they invested, CNN reported. He's seeking damages on...

Irving Picard, the trustee seeking money for victims of the Bernie Madoff scam, is suing HSBC Holdings (HBC) and feeder funds for at least $9 billion. Picard said that HSBC and a network of funds in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America sent Madoff more than $8.9 billion in business while...