too big to fail

Without Taxpayer Aid, Too Big to Fail Banks Would Only Break Even

Today brings a new milestone in big banks' fall from grace: a Bloomberg editorial alleging that Wall Street's largest financial firms wouldn't be profitable without taxpayer backstops, and calling for an end to the perverse incentives the current arrangement produces.

Why It's Really Time to Break Up the Too Big to Fail Banks

When the financial crisis hit, Washington chose to rescue America's biggest banks, lest their failure crush the economy. Now, "too big to fail" has morphed into "too big to jail," and letting them remain that way isn't good for the economy -- or the banking industry.

Vikram Pandit Quits as Citigroup CEO

Vikram Pandit abruptly stepped down as CEO of Citigroup on Tuesday after steering the bank through the 2008 financial crisis and the choppy years that followed. Also resigning: President and Chief Operating Officer John Havens. Citigroup offered no explanation for the sudden departures.

Bankers Agree: 'Too Big to Fail' Has Failed

Maybe if we called it "2B2F," it would have been more popular. But lacking the street cred of a cool nickname, the idea "too big to fail" is beginning to lose popularity in America -- even among some of the country's most famous bankers.

JPMorgan Lost $6 Billion? Buy! Buy! Buy!

In May, JP Morgan Chase spooked investors with news that it had racked up $2 billion worth of losses on derivatives trades. Then last week we learned that the loses were much worse -- and the markets sighed with relief.

Is Another Banking Crisis Staring America in the Face?

Recent stress tests on America's big banks reveal that the financial crisis is far from over. While the "too big to fails" are in better shape than they were in 2008, there's still "room for improvement at virtually every firm."

FDIC: Bank Earnings Hit Five-Year High in 2011

A surge in earnings by the biggest banks at the end of last year made 2011 the most profitable time for the industry in five years. More earnings and fewer troubled banks suggest the industry has healed since the 2008 financial crisis.

Why All of Us Might Pay for BoA's $5 Fee

Last week, Bank of America ignited a firestorm of controversy by choosing to charge its customers $5 a month to use their debit cards. Now, an angry consumer group has called for a federal investigation. Is this overkill or a smart response to what could be a budding disaster for the bank -- and taxpayers?

At Last, Citigroup Starts to Pull Through

It took a while -- three years, really -- but Citigroup, by far the weakest of the big banks coming out of the recession, is starting to pull through. After this morning's second-quarter earnings report of $3.3 billion, or $1.09 per share, investors have several things to rejoice over.

Citi Shuts Another Prop Trading Group for Volcker Rule

Citigroup is closing another one of its proprietary trading groups as it and other banks prepare to comply with the Volcker Rule, which will reduce the exposure of lenders to risky trading activities. What the move will mean for financial giant's profit margins, and its stock price.

Bank Bailouts Cost Much Less Than the FDIC Expected

Given the level of public outrage over the government's rescue of banks during the financial crisis, the final cost to the taxpayer of keeping those failed institutions afloat turns out to have been relatively modest: The FDIC has paid out a mere $8.89 billion to 165 banks since the crisis began.

UBS, Credit Suisse Face Tougher Capital Rules

UBS and Credit Suisse Group will have to almost double their capital holdings because Switzerland has set out to further tighten the reins on its megabanks, requiring them to hold capital well in excess of the new Basel III rules.

Is the Financial System Safe Now -- or Just Safer?

Since Lehman's collapse in September 2008, regulators around the world have begun erecting a scaffolding of new rules and regulations designed limit excessive risk-taking. The big question is: Are they enough to prevent another financial crisis?

Two Years After Lehman:
Still Too Big to Fail

"It felt like the world was on fire," recalls financial writer Andrew Ross Sorkin, whose book Too Big To Fail covers the crisis at its peak. In an interview, he discusses the meltdown, its aftermath, the quest for power on Wall Street and why more regulation is still needed.

Would Rating Downgrades Clip Bank Profits?

Moody's is reviewing 10 large regional banks for possible downgrades because it thinks financial reform means total government support is now less likely. That's setting off a debate about whether those banks will actually take a hit to profitability.

A Wall Street Lawyer's Take on Financial Reform

Winthrop Brown, a Washington lawyer who lobbies on behalf of financial services firms, says the new regulations should get "a pretty good grade" from Wall Street -- and from Main Street. But will they prevent another economic meltdown?

Will EU Limits on Banker Bonuses Reduce Risk?

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.

Banks Face Financial Doomsday

The price that the largest U.S. banks pay to borrow money is set to skyrocket -- and that's just the beginning of the sector's growing problems, which could put a big crimp in their profits.