U.S. companies are on track to raise the most money through initial public offerings since before the financial crisis. It appears that this trend is driven by the same thirst for risk among investors that has pushed the stock market to new highs. Questions 1. Based on the information given in this article, what is… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Access to Material Confidential Government Information?
According to The Washington Post, the Securities and Exchange Commission has issued subpoenas to Height Securities, a Washington-based stock brokerage firm, and individuals in connection with the leak last month about a federal funding decision that appeared to cause a surge in stock trading of several major health companies. Questions: 1. What healthcare stock surged… Read more »
JPMorgan Chase: Transition from Model Citizen to Problem Child in the Eyes of the Government
According to The New York Times, government investigators have found that JPMorgan Chase devised “manipulative schemes” that transformed “money-losing power plants into powerful profit centers.” In addition, they allege that one of its most senior executives gave “false and misleading statements” under oath. Questions: 1. Who is Jamie Dimon; who is Blythe Masters? 2. At… Read more »
Austerity Brings about Desperate Times and Desperate Acts
Two penniless Spanish men chopped off their own hands and tried to claim the insurance payout as accidents. Unfortunately for them, both have been exposed as fraudsters because they performed the amputations too well to be accidents. Both cases come amid a steep rise in the number of false insurance claims that have been revealed… Read more »
Academic Fraud
In the summer of 2011, Diederik Stapel was accused of research fraud. It became the lead story in the Netherlands and would dominate headlines for months. Overnight, Stapel went from being a respected professor to perhaps the biggest con man in academic science. Questions: 1. How did Stapel commit the fraud? 2. Why did Stapel… Read more »
Pension Advances to be Scrutinized by Congress and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
This New York Times article discusses the allure of borrowing against pensions, which underscores an abrupt reversal in the financial fortunes of many retirees in recent years. The offers, known as pension advances, are having devastating financial consequences for a growing number of older Americans, both threatening their retirement savings and exacerbating mounting debt within… Read more »
Watch Out for On-The-Lot Financing
Since many banks will not give auto loans to people with bad credit or no credit, due to increased restrictions or risk, on-the-lot financing has become more popular. Unfortunately, since Buy-Here-Pay-Here financing is not strictly regulated, interest rates can be quite high. Questions: 1. What are the benefits of on-the-lot financing? 2. What are the… Read more »
Slowing Wealth – New Study Reports
According to a new study by the Urban Institute, the American dream of working hard, saving more and becoming wealthier than one’s parents holds true for many, unless you’re under 40. Questions: 1. What are some of the factors that have negatively affected the wealth of younger Americans? 2. According to the article, if a… Read more »
What’s Martha Stewart Doing in Court Again?
In the latest Martha Stewart saga, Macy’s alleges Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia violated exclusivity terms of its contract when it agreed in 2011 to open Martha Stewart stores inside J.C. Penney’s stores. Questions: 1. Martha Stewart denied Macy’s allegations that she did anything unethical and said she was only looking to expand her brand. After… Read more »
Justice for Dixon Illinois?
In November 2012, Rita Crundwell, comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted that she stole approximately $53 million, admitting she stole the money from the city of Dixon while she was comptroller. She still faces 60 separate but related state felony charges for theft in Lee County. She has pleaded not… Read more »