Outsourcing without limits?

Should national and supranational regulation allow the unconstrained outsourcing of vital enterprise functions? Information Technology is no longer a low skill 'back-office' job but a vital ingredient of today's business. And this applies more than ever to the finance industry where security is more important than in most other lines of business.
Job-Spirale nach unten: First London, dann Zürich - Inside Paradeplatz

Credit Ratings - still no reform

While regulators have produced tons of paper simple and effective reform of Credit Rating Agencies has not happened.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2969086

Is big better in Money Management Biz?

Bigger does not necessarily mean better. Big fund managers did something right otherwise they would not be big. But that could also be their undoing. Once you manage billions you are going to find it very difficult to achieve any out performance. That will mean that smaller firms will find room to grow.
Big money managers are squeezing smaller ones at worst possible time - Business Insider

EU wants a ban on UK firms setting up Brexit shell companies

So what is supposed to be a 'Shell Company'? Are the Eurocrats going to prescribe the exact number of jobs that have to be hired by a subsidiary? As I repeatedly said - starting in Feb 2016 - one has to look at the different business lines in detail. M+A businesses are quite often already on the ground in the 'Rest EU'. One office should be enough, same can be said for most other finance businesses.
EU wants a ban on UK firms setting up Brexit shell companies

Goldman Sachs Charity donations

The honrable thing - do good and do not talk about it!

Room to Read Goldman Sachs party - Business Insider

Slap on the Wrist for Omega's Cooperman

Can one call a $5 million fine significant given that Cooperman is a certified billionaire? Slap on the wrist would be more appropriate. And if no guilt is admitted why pay a fine? Looks like there is a two level justice system and incidents like these will do nothing to restore public confidence in financial regulation or the banking and investment industries.
Leon Cooperman’s Hedge Fund Settles Insider Trading Case

Vanguard's new UK Online Offering

Afraid this is the way things will go - I  remember the time (more than 45 years ago) when Robeco's international flagship fund charged 0.36%. So maybe that is where the Mutual/Investment Fund Industry is headed to. Who still remembers Bernie Cornfeld's ill-fated IOS? Those were the baby years of investing funds...and the sums have become enormous since the late 1960s. But looking at the way Fiduciaries like Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life spread the investor's money around like confetti it does not give the impression that the Industry is ready to face the new reality.
Vanguard launches online investment service in UK

EU: Free Trade only when Eurocrats like it?

Talk about EU being a bastion of Free Markets is Rubbish! Services - the growing part of advanced economies - are carefully excluded where it suits the Eurocracy. So banning Euro Clearing from being handled in the City of London is a blatant slap in the face of Free Trade. Let's call a spade a spade and not pussyfoot around with these hypocritical ideologues - be they called Merkel, Macron or Juncker!
The City of London After Brexit Isn't Just About Jobs - Bloomberg

Johnny Depp made $650 million but couldn't pay for his lavish lifestyle

Just another reason for inequality is demonstrated by this: Copyright protection for Movies and Actors? Is it really necessary for the benefit of mankind? not the same as inventing a new medicine, and in the old days even the people behind life-saving medicines did not do it for the money anyway.

Johnny Depp made $650 million but couldn't pay for his lavish lifestyle, ex-manager says

Regulation: Race to the bottom?

If rules are interpreted so 'flexibly' in the USA it will be interesting to see how 'Europe' reacts (if the sleepy bureaucrats there even notice or care). Apart from the problem that Brexit will soon loom over any regulation in 'Europe', the response could be either to loosen rules/interpretations as well or demand that US entities comply with stricter rules designed in Europe. And what if the UK goes for a laxer regulatory environment? Every bloc will try to help his financial firms or bloc those from the other blocs, interesting times indeed!
Who’s Watching Wall Street? The Feds Turn a Blind Eye to Goldman’s Game | The Fiscal Times