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The legal fallout of the crisis | Advantage zyaada

Among the ones that escaped the notice of the fourth estate earlier, there was some legal action against banks for mis-declarations and civil fraud such as the mortgage ‘quick-cycles’ of Long Island. ( I forget, it was either multiple mortgages on the same property, directly to the construction company or for non-existent addresses) That’s been selling at Citi, BofA and even Wells Fargo. Now Mort (Mortgage Securitized ABS) papers or online forms incomplete and warehoused without adequate audit also is beyond target for lawmakers and the lying lawyers. What is happening though is a couple of privilege actions against State Street, penalized $310 million by the SEC.

NYTimes: According to a complaint filed by the S.E.C., State Street set up the Limited Duration Bond Fund in 2002 and marketed it as an alternative to a money market fund. By 2007, however, the fund was almost entirely invested in subprime securities. State Street misled many investors about the fund’s exposure, the S.E.C. said, but provided particular investors with more complete information.

The fund was subscribed by “dozens of Massachusetts charities and retirement funds” and it looks likely these were ‘left behind’ because they were not the top 10 or 20 or 50 investors in the fund. State Street’s internal advisory groups advised some other investors to redeem their holdings in the fund. This fund accounted for $13billion, a tangible proportion of the GDP and a proud part of the $3T under management at SSGA. Everyone was doing their bit to save the world. It’s just the some who thought it didn’t need any saving or the others who thought that everything is rotten, both of them are swimming out there with fiduciary obligations from them like the Madoff Bros’ Clients fighting for air.

On that front, Madoff’s clients looking to hold on the NAV towards the end when Madoff ‘fessed up are fighting an uphill battle with the courts set to rule that losses will be partaken basis their initial investment. so if they’ve withdrawn that much..they’re easy money (can the court even try to get to a place where most of these clients actually knew what was going on?) Meanwhile up at crainsnewyork.com, right up the creek, a gentleman in Queens sold a lot of 21% Fixed Income bonds in the fortnight after the Madoff disease broke to the press. After.

Just like Martha Coakley ( and she just lost an election to Scott Brown, so she gets to carry the health phantoms too) Andy Cuomo, New York’s Attorney General is charging against Bank of America for civil fraud about letting ML bankers get away with a $3.6 billion bonus and hiding billions in losses at Merrill, promptly refilled by Paulson before the week was over. However, n an interesting protein B flex of the tale, SEC announced a settlement in a press note on the same day, charging BofA $150 million for the merger millions. Cuomo, is going after the persons, Joe Price, ex CFO and who else but Kenneth Lewis. The Congress  in the meantime had gone after Hank Paulson and the Federal Reserve (Geithner and others) . Well, the people must learn the truth. Somehow.

Goldman Sachs’ , Deutsche Bank and even HSBC would be up against a lot of charges for securities fraud as was happening in minor cases in 2009, though they all seem to have worked out clean and simple ways of moving forward and breaking away from the crisis ridden past of 2008. 2009 wasn’t much of a crisis except for re-engineering careers to get that unemployment rate.

Is it the beginning or the end

Please note that I do not say the beginning of the end or any such melodramatic / Jack Bauer kind of stuff ( i like the guy, but i could like LAX too and the Smoke Monster..)

The crisis this time wasn’t as simple as any of the network blokes though. It was a hard hitting knock that lasted well over two years and then only retreated to the edge of beyond. Now, that’s just back up again after the big game tomorrow.

It’s a new beginning, really. Compliance, regulation, the law ..it’s about making the world better, and doing it real-time.. not like this – after the crow went down and the scavengers completed the party, we have legal action, that’s one awfully slow learning America and an even slower Europe (europe learnt regulation at light speed, it put in the regulation to stop the next crisis in the last decade, now just twiddling thumbs..)

And that’s all, folks.tune in to NPR radio for more human interest stuff on the weekend. Thanks for reading, keep writing back.

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Lifestyle Infrastructure

One of our special themes at the Advantages weblogs has been our assertion that US, India, China and most of the rest of the world that is growing

is likely to do so on the basis of a consumption revolution. Below is out insight piece that opened the chapter on India's final coming out that was much awaited but wasn't really happening till 2009..

The Commonwealth Games Infrastructure Train

A few years ago, when the Indian women shot Gold in Commonwealth Hockey and our aim in general started consistently being medal grade, we won the bid for New Delhi to host the games in 2010. This business of infrastructure had been mystifying sportspersons for decades in India; none too easily supported by the overarching smell of rent and inadequate facilities for local sports persons historically.

Even today most sports would bow out in front of Cricket and that is not a full-fledged event at the CWG, though there is still a toss-up for the T20 version to be added. Like most other spheres of life, China has been doing it higher, faster and stronger, having already held the challenging Olympics in 2008 earning over $2b for Beijing, the host city.

The story is quite public and you must have all followed it at least since August 2009 when the first few fistcuffs were exchanged regarding the lack of preparations for the CWG event now just 6-7 months away. The Sports Minister and the Games Organising Committee Chair Suresh Kalmadi has variously ben painted and vilified while we look at the rejuvenated parts of Wembley in London and survive on facepaint and cheering the local IPL franchise in Cricket games. The painting of events apart we just thought it important for Sports and Tourist infrastructure worth $1.5 billion to be included in the India story at about this time.

This preamble would survive your taste buds and your snipping scissors in the mind and we�ll come back right after lunch is over for you..

And the Original piece..follow up article on our Lifestyle Economics stream

If you have been following the India story closely, India�fs new developments are focussed on Infrastructure and Retail along with giant leaps in the Entertainment business. You can look closely at the India stories athttp://advantages.us/inframils to get a flavor of what�fs happening in Indian Infrastructure

On the other hand Retail Lifestyle businesses are increasingly attracting investors�cRural Markets may grow at a faster pace at least on the Drawing board. �c Where is Investor access? Why is it still on the government to make it happen? The FDI limits and the others are fairly rational policies..but where are the investors?..

Nanos will roll into homes by July end and IPL teams are already applying for trademarks as it looks set to become the greatest sporting extravaganza in the world, already ranked at #2 behind the NFL season in the USA. The 3G challenge will tear at Telecom companies�f profits in the coming years�c

10-Year-Old Girl Scores Hole-In-One at US Kids Golf European Championship in Scotland
(The image is of a young indian golfer in Scotland)

BUT, Importantly, India caught on to serious lifestyle investments early in 2005, Today with the debut of Cox and Kings IPO..

Where it is now?

Towns like Jalandhar, Ludhiana in Punjab, Jaipur and Agra on the Golden Triangle and such state capitals, heritage and business towns like Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur present a unique opportunity for Indian hospitality business to scale up, esp as Indian railways, india�fs aviation footprint and the road infrastructure will follow in step with the boom. Note: The Indian Maharaja with TC, Maharajas Express with Cox & Kings, and the other two luxury trains have started first season bookings quite well and money is being spendt to add gym and pool to the Palace on wheels as well ( More here ) Golden Palace started from Bangalore is not doing so well apparently. The Maharajas Express for example is 84 persons at an average of $1000 per night for a 7 day- 8 night tour between Mumbai and Delhi

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