With unemployment still high, late mortgage payments rising, and the number of Americans in poverty at record levels, it seems that Main Street is headed for a hard, cold holiday season. But, somewhat surprisingly, so too are the fat cats of Wall Street -- relatively speaking.
The average person may find it hard to imagine what big company CEOs do to justify their massive pay packages. Shareholders often ask a similar question: Why pay executives so much when the returns they produce are often so modest? But that's a question that doesn't apply to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
Bankers worldwide are expecting smaller bonuses this year. Still, they will be hard pressed to find much sympathy as their base salaries were boosted -- in some cases doubled -- this year to compensate for the lower year-end bonuses.
The tough new restrictions will likely fuel demands for similar curbs in the U.S. But not everyone is convinced that the new rules will have the intended effect of changing bankers' riskiest practices.
Rabble-rousing musician Billy Bragg is urging U.K. citizens to withhold their taxes unless the government stops the Royal Bank of Scotland from awarding $2.4 billion in bonuses to its bankers. After a bailout, RBS is now government owned.