A Run On The Global Banking System—How Close Are We?

derryb

Much closer thanks to the handling of the MF Global bust

Those 40,000 segregated MF Global customer accounts that were robbed to pay off JP Morgan - They were illegally robbed not by MF Global, but by the authorities who were charged with handling the firm’s bankruptcy. Makes one wonder where his place in line will be if his bank or brokerage firm fails.

"...a lot of investors . . .sophisticated, wealthy, and not at all the paranoid type—are quietly pulling their money out of all brokerage firms, all banks, all equity firms. They are quietly trading out of their paper assets and going into the actual, physical asset."

My New Year's resolution? Exit all paper positions (including IRAs) and move all banking account assets to locally owned and operated credit unions. Looks like a bit of "midnight gardening" is in order; time to rotate the crops.

roadrunner

From one account I read the regulators allowed MFGlobal to file bankruptcy as a securities firm rather than a commodities brokerage even though the vast majority of their business
was in commodities trading, futures, options, etc. By doing so they were able to give otc derivatives and other similar products head of the line privileges over retail
customer accounts. Hence creditors like JPM and other large banks could legally be paid off before segregated/allocated customer trading accounts.

roadrunner

jmski52

That's another 40,000 sophisticated investors who will never make that mistake again and who will probably influence another 100,000 or so to stop putting money at risk in paper assets. Who knows if this will cause a groundswell? It could, in my opinion.

derryb

<< <i>From one account I read the regulators allowed MFGlobal to file bankruptcy as a securities firm rather than a brokerage even though the vast majority of their business
was in commodities trading, futures, options, etc. By doing so they were able to give otc derivatives and other similar products head of the line privileges over retail
customer accounts. Hence creditors like JPM and other large banks could legally be paid off before segregated/allocated customer trading accounts.

roadrunner >>


discussed in the link. appears to be the way that bankrupty handlers (CME) were able to protect JP Morgan at the expense of account holders. Allocated PM bars with serial numbers were taken from customers and trading accounts were frozen preventing customers from cutting subsequent losses.

derryb

<< <i>That's another 40,000 sophisticated investors who will never make that mistake again and who will probably influence another 100,000 or so to stop putting money at risk in paper assets. Who knows if this will cause a groundswell? It could, in my opinion. >>


Imagine what "could" happen to a massive number of IRA accounts if a major borkerage's failure was to be similarly handled. MF Global just might be the trial run for such a staged occurrence. Scary.

jmski52

Corzine and his 2 lieutenants testified to Congress that they had no idea where the money went. Isn't there a paper trail? That being said, how can anyone believe that they had 100:1 leveraged bets on the Euro? Why does anyone believe that?

I think that they simply stole the money. The bankruptcy judge's personal finances should be examined, but you know - if they don't want it found, it won't be found.

Julio

The MF Global fiasco cast dispersion, mistrust, and winks with a broad net. Take care. jws

derryb

I personally think it was a test case in preparation of comandeering more allocated bullion and eventually PM IRAs. If they get away with treating the bankruptcy as an equities firm instead of a commodities firm then the precedent will have been set. If MF Global is in fact an equities brokerage firm, why is CME group handleling the bankruptcy?

jmski52

Think ETFs.

bronco2078

This article says its starting on the edges of the eurozone quietly

bank run beginning

Baley

Oh, we sure hope so!

Yukoncornelius1

How anyone in their right mind is not outraged over this outright theft of property is beyond me.

I know there are some here who think that the system is totally honest and does not need fixing but come on the proof is in the pudding. I honestly think that in an election year eventually those up for election might actually do the right thing and make JP Morgan give account holders back their bullion, but after the to big to fail debacle who knows???

Yukoncornelius1

<< <i>I personally think it was a test case in preparation of comandeering more allocated bullion and eventually PM IRAs. If they get away with treating the bankruptcy as an equities firm instead of a commodities firm then the precedent will have been set. If MF Global is in fact an equities brokerage firm, why is CME group handleling the bankruptcy? >>



Sorry if I offend anyone her but anyone dumb enough to hold PM's in their IRA's is asking for trouble.

Buy PM's with disposable income and keep it hidden, buy stocks or mutual funds with your IRA money.

ricko

Hard metal.. stored safely... away from any bank or organization, will be the resource you can depend upon. Cheers, RickO

streeter

I can give you a brief condensed version of why an important lesson I learned in the 80's made me not trust financial firms and never to trust a holder of my assets.

I was brokering a deal, representing the buyer and seller. The buyer and the potential lenders rep-- and myself were having a casual business lunch at O.J.'s in San Jose.

Lender; "We can't possibly lend on that property, have you actually inspected it? It's a dump for Gawds sake, all the windows are broken out, it's against our charter to lend on uninhabitable property"

buyer, "Wendall, I'm going to fix it up." Then he proceeds to whip out from his coat pocket a current statement from the bank with his cash equivalent position--many times greater than the purchase price...and says 'the hell with your xxx S & L Wendall, I'll just pay cash'.

Lender " OK, we'll make the loan if you promise me you'll fix it up".

Loan was made. Against their federally mandated charter. S & L, one of the biggees that bit the dust.