19 May 2017

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

17 May 2017

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

15 May 2017

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