Bankruptcy Blogs

When Serving Jail Time for Unpaid Debts Becomes a Debt Spiral

07/31/12

Tell me.  Are we allowed to do anything we like to those with the least power and money in our society? Are there no limits? We know that in some states, private actors have been permitted to charge 500-1,000% for loans, but what about public actors? Can you think of any debtor-credit practices that rise to the level of human right violations? This is question Chrystin Ondersma (Rutgers Newark School of Law) and I have been asking ourselves in connection with a project on which we are working.

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Stop Romanticizing Glass-Steagall

07/31/12

The modern, neo-Glass-Steagall advocacy has a mystical quality about it, an appeal that proposes to rise above the tough debate over the thorny details and reach back to a mythical time when bank regulation worked so very well.

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The Daily Docket: Solyndra Debuts Exit Plan

07/31/12

Failed solar power equipment maker Solyndra LLC has sketched out its Chapter 11 plan and, as expected, there’s bad news for U.S. taxpayers: Estimates are $24 million of a $527 million government loan will be repaid, and that’s not a sure thing. Read the Daily Bankruptcy Review article here.

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What Makes a Good Risk Manager?

07/30/12

A majority of BankThink posts dedicated to risk assessment focus on tools, systems, agencies or legislation. Rarely do we talk about the people hired to implement them. Do you believe in risk managers?

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Peregrine Financial: Four Common Methods of Camouflaging Fraud

07/30/12
Associated Press
This Monday, April 4, 2011, file photo shows Russell Wasendorf Sr., chief executive of Peregrine Financial Group, Inc., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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Reducing Mortgage Principal Is Not a 'Moral' Issue

07/30/12

Concerns about moral hazard should not prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from helping underwater homeowners avoid foreclosure.

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Sibling of ‘Sideways’ Winery Files for Chapter 11

07/30/12

California’s Alma Rosa Winery is famous for its Pinot Noirs. The 2009 Mt. Eden Clone has a “cherry dropdead prettiness and a slow to reveal dark side,” according to the winery’s website. Turns out, so does Alma Rosa’s balance sheet.

The winery, owned by Richard Sanford, dubbed the father of Santa Barbara Pinot Noir and the first to plant the vine there, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday.

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'Disparate Impact' Doctrine Is Vital for Fair-Lending Exams

07/30/12

In a society where blatant expressions of discrimination are largely considered to be unacceptable, discrimination often takes on subtler and more insidious forms.

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Say Good Riddance to HSBC

07/30/12

A Congressional investigation found HSBC engaged in money laundering and sanctions busting for ten years, in multibillion-dollar amounts. Perhaps not coincidentally, the bank has been disinvesting from the U.S. Let's invite them to complete their departure-fast.

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The Daily Docket: Judge Won’t Move Kodak Patent Dispute

07/30/12
Associated Press/dapd

A judge denied Apple Inc.’s bid to move a patent dispute with Eastman Kodak Co. out of bankruptcy court.

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