Lessons not Learned: 10 Steps to Stable Financial Markets

Much has been written and spoken about the lessons learned from the financial crisis of 2009. This book deals with the lessons not learned before the financial crisis. Dr Trimbath demonstrates that an existing framework for regulating financial systems, available since at least 2001, could have prevented the systemic failure in the US that led to the collapse of global credit markets in 2008. Step by step the book guides you through what could have been done to prevent the crisis and what investors can do to protect themselves from the next one, and concludes with a key idea for making financial services businesses stand out from the crowd ensuring future success. The list of 10 Steps is quite straight-forward and simple. Have private, independent rating agencies. Provide some government safety net but not so much that banks are not held accountable (""Too Big to Fail"") Allow very little government ownership and control of national financial assets. Allow banks to reduce the volatility of returns by offering a wide-range of services. Require financial market players to register and be authorized. Provide information, including setting standards, to enhance market transparency. Routinely examine financial institutions to ensure that the regulatory code is obeyed. Enforce the code and discipline transgressors. Develop policies that keep the regulatory code up to date. Encourage the creation of specialized financial institutions. For each step the reader will find: the legislative and regulatory background on the existing rules; a review of academic research on the theory behind each step; and the facts and data connecting each step to the financial crisis of 2008.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements About the author Contents Abbreviations Tables of authorities Foreword Introduction 1. Updated Regulations 1.1. Lesson 1.2. Purpose 1.3. Theory 1.4. Practice 1.5. Connection 1.6. Conclusion 2. Registration and Authorisation 2.1. Lesson 2.2. Purpose 2.3. Theory 2.4. Practice 2.5. Connection 2.6. Conclusion 3. Surveillance and Examinations 3.1. Lesson 3.2. Purpose 3.3. Theory 3.4. Practice 3.5. Connection 3.6. Conclusion 4. Allowable Diversification 4.1. Lesson 4.2. Purpose 4.3. Theory 4.4. Practice 4.5. Connection 4.6. Conclusion 5. Independent Monitors 5.1. Lesson 5.2. Purpose 5.3. Theory 5.4. Practice 5.5. Connection 5.6. Conclusion 6. Information and Standards 6.1. Lesson 6.2. Purpose 6.3. Theory 6.4. Practice 6.5. Connection 6.6. Conclusion 7. Enforcement and Discipline 7.1. Lesson 7.2. Purpose 7.3. Theory 7.4. Practice 7.5. Connection 7.6. Conclusion 8. Safety with Accountability 8.1. Lesson 8.2. Purpose 8.3. Theory 8.4. Practice 8.5. Connection 8.6. Conclusion 9. Private Ownership 9.1. Lesson 9.2. Purpose 9.3. Theory 9.4. Practice 9.5. Connection 9.6. Conclusion 10. Specialization 10.1. Lesson 10.2. Purpose 10.3. Theory 10.4. Practice 10.5. Connection 10.6. Conclusion 11. Conclusion 11.1. Finance is Everywhere 11.2. No single cause, no single solution 11.3. Moving Beyond Finance and Economics 11.4. Where We Are Now 11.5. Where we could be 11.6. Epilogue to Individual Investors Appendices Appendix 1: Note on the Mathematics of Derivatives Appendix 2: SROs, Born of the Paperwork Crisis Appendix 3: Structured Finance Appendix 4: Who Regulates Banks Appendix 5: DFA Cross-Reference and Implementation Trackers Appendix 6: A Collection of Lessons References Index

About the Author :
Susanne Trimbath holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and received her MBA in Management from Golden Gate University. Prior to forming STP Advisory Services, Dr. Trimbath was Senior Research Economist in Capital Studies at Milken Institute (Santa Monica, CA) and Senior Advisor on the Russian Capital Markets Project (USAID-funded) with KPMG in Moscow and St. Petersburg. She started her career in financial services operations at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Since 1989, Dr. Trimbath has taught economics and finance in university graduate and undergraduate programs as adjunct, associate and full-time professor. Dr. Trimbath helped create the Transportation Performance Index for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Washington, D.C.) which she used to demonstrate the real economic payoff of investments in infrastructure.Dr. Trimbath authored, edited and contributed chapters to five books, including Mergers and Efficiency (2002), Beyond Junk Bonds (2003), and Methodological Issues in Accounting Research (2006). Her media credits include appearances on national television and radio programs (CNBC's Power Lunch and NPR's Marketplace) and the Bloomberg report Phantom Shares. Dr. Trimbath's articles appear in the national publications US Banker, The International Economy, and The American Enterprise in addition to academic, peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Trimbath is a contributing editor at NewGeography.com.

Review :
"In a time of mind-boggling complexity in financial regulation - too complex, according to Ben Bernanke, for the Federal Reserve System to understand its impact - Lessons Not Learned is a refreshing call to return to a simpler, more basic approach. Susanne Trimbath emphasizes that the failure to implement regulations, a key factor in the crisis of 2008, remains the system's Achilles heel. This book features a refreshing combination of research grounding and pragmatic experience. A must read for taxpayers and their representatives!" —Jerry Caprio - Currently: Williams College, William Brough Professor of Economics and Chair, Center for Development Economics. Formerly (1988-2005): The World Bank, Director, Operations and Policy Department, Financial Sector Vice Presidency