Arts Dec 19 Watch Bankrupt Detroit considers putting a price on its priceless art collection Bankrupt Detroit considers putting a price on its priceless art collection…
Economy Aug 12 Where Are Toxic Assets Now? Question: TARP was originally proposed to deal with “toxic assets” to unclog the books of financial institutions and prevent them from becoming insolvent. The toxic assets to date have not been bought up, so…
Economy Jun 09 If Banks Still Followed Mark-to-Market Rules, What Would Their Losses Look Like? Question: What is the actual amount that banks have “lost” if banks still had to follow mark-to-market rules? My understanding is that our large banks would be insolvent by almost a trillion dollars if they had to declare what…
Economy May 12 What’s the Real Madoff Math? 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… By Business Desk
Apr 02 Watch Change in Mark-to-Market Rules Could Have Big Impact on Banks’ Balance Sheets A key accounting standard was changed Thursday to allow banks more flexibility in mark-to-market rules, which help establish the value of assets. Analysts explain what impact this change in these rules could have for banks. Continue watching
Feb 23 Will the Next Generation Be Better Off? Question/Comment: Will the next generation be better off? Paul Solman: Who knows? But an interesting skeptic is Dallas Salisbury, head of the Employee Benefits Research Institute. I interviewed him recently for a story on what’s known as “the… Continue reading
Feb 03 Was the Wall Street Money Real or Imagined? Question/Comment: Could you explain where all the money went that supposedly vanished during the Wall Street meltdown? Who has it? Was it imaginary or did it really exist? Paul Solman: All Wall Street values are imaginary. All money is imaginary. Continue reading
Dec 22 Watch Holiday Season Brings Solemn Reflections Essayist Nancy Gibbs takes a look at the challenges at hand during a holiday season marked by economic recession. Continue watching
Oct 28 Watch Global Markets Soar on Likely Fed Interest Rate Cut After a steady slump in world trading, global markets surged Tuesday after expectations of a likely Federal Reserve interest rate cut and the Treasury's move to inject capital boosted investors' confidence. A Business Week editor probes the reasons behind the… Continue watching