A near-death experience often provides needed perspective to effectuate real change. But no matter how often the over-regulated and over-subsidized US banking sector flirts with disaster, it never seems to change its ways. Three years have gone by since subprime mortgage exposure threw the financial system into cardiac arrest. Experienced analysts are under no illusions [...]
Author Archive | John Downs
Should We Cheer The Federal Housing Finance Agency Lawsuit?
John Downs (2011.09.08 ) Housing, Investing
Tonight, the NFL season will begin. One of the best aspects of this national spectacle is the fierce competition of evenly matched teams, any one of which can beat, on “any given Sunday,” any of the league’s best teams. While Americans admire league parity in football, they have come to despise the tiered structure that [...]
The Symptoms of Nuclear Hysteria
John Downs (2011.04.13 ) Energy, Investing
Imagine you invented a machine that revolutionized travel. You know your invention could cut local and long distance travel time substantially and vastly improve the ability for business to deliver freight efficiently. The invention would add trillions to global GDP. If released, your invention would no doubt be universally used and admired. However, based on [...]
Not Too Big For Fraud
John Downs (2010.11.13 ) Investing
As a mortgage broker during the manic years of the housing boom, I witnessed reckless financial practices on a wide scale. As a result, I was not surprised by the “robo-signing” mess that now threatens the mortgage sector. Unfortunately, the scandal is only a small tip of the iceberg that threatens to take down the [...]