Its a tall order but Geithner is aiming high.  His targets align quite well with Germanys Merkel and it will be interesting to see how that plays out this week in London.  ‘Robust and stable’ system is goal of US  | FT It was good for regulators to think more about system rather than institution- specific risks. But he said: “I am sceptical about the ability of central banks and regulators to provide early warnings of crises. We need to build a system that is safe against uncertainty, against ignorance, against the failure to identify the future source of crisis.” … Continue reading “I begin with capital. We have a clear imperative to reform capital requirements” | Geithner

This is a small fragment of a bright spot and it comes form internet and that is satisfying.  While web ad revenue increasing is nice the real satisfaction lies in that it has posted relative gains on traditional ad spend.  This will be a stat to watch over the next quarters. Web ad revenue grew in 4Q but slower than in past | SF Gate About 10 percent of all money spent on advertising in 2008 went toward ads on the Internet, according to U.K.-based advertising company ZenithOptimedia. While that is still a small portion of the total, it rose … Continue reading Web ad spend grows to 10% of all ad spend in Q4 2008

A brilliant question.  Mark Carney, Central Bank Governor of Bank of Canada’s answer is equally direct.  This paper is clear insightful and highly useful for the debate and discussion as the next steps of regulation of banks occurs. What are Banks really for | Carney – Bank of Canada The financial system should be the servant of the real economy. As one of my international colleagues recently remarked, “it is time the banks stopped swanning around like the Queen of England and resumed their traditional role as handmaidens to industry.” It is apparent that an era of self-absorbed finance that … Continue reading Banks have broken their social contract with corporates and government | “what are banks for”