May 20 Why Were Banks Allowed to Bet on Derivatives? Question: How did the dollar volume of U.S. mortgages get to be such a huge dollar problem? Did derivatives do that? Why are investment banks allowed to bet 34 dollars for only one they have? Paul Solman: First, a word… Continue reading
May 12 What’s the Real Madoff Math? By Business Desk Tonight, FRONTLINE tackles the Bernard Madoff affair, attempting to decipher the puzzle of the financier’s multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. The program delves into the cast of characters involved in the case, including the… Continue reading
May 04 Watch Alleged Ponzi Scheme Swindled Immigrants in Los Angeles Amid growing complaints about Ponzi-type schemes in the wake of the Bernard Madoff scandal, a company in Los Angeles is alleged to have swindled investors out of millions. Special correspondent Jeffrey Kaye reports. Continue watching
Apr 29 What Are Quants? Question: What are ‘quants’? Paul Solman: Quantitative experts, or if you prefer, “number jocks” or “math whizzes” who have gone to “Wall St.” (ie, the world of finance). They construct formulas for investing and packaging investments. Take their… Continue reading
Apr 28 In Case You Missed It: St. Louis, the Stimulus, and the New Deal By Business Desk On last night’s NewsHour, Paul investigated how stimulus funds are being spent in St. Louis and compared today’s projects with those funded by the New Deal during the Depression. Don’t miss a special slide show showcasing iconic New… Continue reading
Apr 27 How Does InBev’s Purchase of Anheuser-Busch Affect St. Louis? Question: For nearly 150 years, Anheuser-Busch was locally owned here in St. Louis. Now, it’s owned by someone in Belgium. Does this really mean anything for St. Louis beyond those who work for Anheuser-Busch/InBev? Paul Solman: It certainly might. A… Continue reading
Apr 24 How Does the Downturn Affect Urban Renewal? By Business Desk Editor’s Note: As Barack Obama’s presidency reaches the 100-day mark, the NewsHour is examining how the president’s policies and the economic crisis are affecting one city – St. Louis, where Obama will mark the milestone April 29. Paul’s segment on… Continue reading
Mar 20 How Worried Are You About the National Debt? Question: How concerned should we be about (1) our level of national debt and (2) China holding a large portion of our national debt? Paul Solman: These are among the great debates of our time, of course. Short-term,… Continue reading
Mar 16 How Much Responsibility Do Boards of Directors Bear? Question: It seems the press is ignoring the elephant in the banking bath tub: Members of each board of directors had responsibility to their shareholders, yet I never hear that being discussed. And I’ve only had a whiff of who… Continue reading
Mar 10 Watch Madoff Expected to Plead Guilty as Details of Alleged Fraud Case Emerge Lawyers for Bernard Madoff, who allegedly defrauded investors of nearly $50 billion, said that the former Wall Street financier would likely plead guilty to 11 criminal counts on Thursday. New York Times reporter Diana Henriques updates the story. Continue watching