“We believe that the credit rating agencies, in exchange for fees, departed from their objective, neutral role as arbiters. At minimum, they were aiding and abetting misconduct by issuers.&rdqu

All day and every day, some of the stock market's best and brightest traders and money managers share their ideas, insights and analysis in real-time on Minyanville's Buzz & Ban

The chorus of “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”, music by John Kellette, and lyrics by James Kendis, James Brockman, and Nat Vincent, first performed on Broadway in 1918 (That’s r

The core inflation rate -- which strips out food and energy prices -- slid to an annual rate of 1.4% in the third quarter from 2% in the second quarter. Low inflation, courtesy of a weak economy, giv

Recently, the government’s Pay Czar, Kenneth Feinberg, “suggested” that outgoing Bank of America (BAC) CEO Ken Lewis should take home $0 in salary for 2009, and receive a bonus of e

In 2005, Barron’s called him one of the 30 best CEOs in the world. Then Fortune placed his firm on its list of “Most Admired Companies”. One year later, American Banker presented hi

Many people are finding the holiday tradition of making charitable donations difficult again this year, particularly if they're unemployed or worried about the economy. Charities, many of which norma

You buy your sister a $100 general-purpose gift card. It's for her birthday, but it might be the bank that has reason to celebrate.Despite your good intentions, such gift cards often come with a tang

Traditional wisdom tells us never to lend money to friends. But traditional wisdom has it slightly wrong. Lending money and property to friends is okay, as long as you feel comfortable with the arran

Equities ended mixed in unusually tight trading. Buffett was a buffer against broader declines with his big railroad bet, but a downgrade of the semiconductor sector left Intel (INTC) (-2.68%) e