It’s a Small World at the Top: Which Corporations Control the World?

A surprisingly small number of corporations control massive global market shares. How many of the brands below do you use? It’s a Small World at the Top: Banking Largest banks hold a total of $25.1 trillion:[1] 1.) ICBC, China, $2.95 trillion in assets, over 18,000 outlets, 108 branches globally 2.) HSBC holdings, UK, $2.68 trillion in assets, 6,600 offices in …

5 Major Banks Rigged US $9trn Bond Market: Lawsuit

The Bank of America, Credit Agricole SA, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, and Nomura Holdings were named as defendants. Five major banks and four traders were sued on Wednesday in a private U.S. lawsuit claiming they conspired to rig prices worldwide in a more than US$9 trillion market for bonds issued by government-linked organizations and agencies. Bank of America Corp , Credit …

Pam Martens and Russ Martens – Citigroup Was Using Taxpayer Bailout Funds While Committing Its Foreign Currency Felony

While the U.S. taxpayer was involuntarily shoveling over $2 trillion in bailout funds and loans into Citigroup from 2008 to 2010, the bank was committing at least one admitted felony on its foreign currency trading desk. And if ongoing testimony in a London court is to be believed, the U.S. Justice Department could have brought charges against individuals instead of …

Forex scandal: White collar criminals must face jail not fines, say UK experts

Financial penalties expected to hit British banks for Forex rigging will do little to tackle financial crime in the City of London as regulators continue to prioritize high finance over ordinary citizens, experts warn. British banks could be fined billions in coming months as investors pursue them for rigging foreign exchange (Forex) rates, following a landmark US settlement on Friday. …

When Is a Felony Not a Felony? When You Are a Bank – Alexis Goldstein

Good news, America: We can now get guilty pleas from banks! Bad news, America: That’s only because guilty pleas from banks are now absolutely meaningless. Last week, JP Morgan, Citigroup, Barclays, and Royal Bank of Scotland pled guilty to felony charges of conspiring to manipulate currency prices, and UBS pled guilty to manipulating benchmark interest rates. Regulators and prosecutors found …

HSBC fears world recession with no lifeboats left

The world economy is disturbingly close to stall speed. The United Nationshas cut its global growth forecast for this year to 2.8pc, the latest of the multinational bodies to retreat. We are not yet in the danger zone but this pace is only slightly above the 2.5pc rate that used to be regarded as a recession for the international system as …

The Big Banks Are Corrupt – And Getting Worse – Richard eskow

The Justice Department’s latest settlement with felonious big banks was announced this week, but the repercussions were limited to a few headlines and some scattered protestations. That’s not enough. We need to understand that our financial system is not merely corrupt in practice. It is corrupt by design – and the problem is growing. Let’s connect the dots, using news …

Latest Guilty Pleas Prove Big Bank Criminality ‘Rampant,’ But Jail Time Non-Existent – Deirdre Fulton

In the wake of Wednesday’s announcement that five global financial institutions have agreed to plead guilty to multiple crimes and pay about $5.6 billion in penalties for manipulating foreign currencies and interest rates, corporate watchdogs are reiterating the call to ‘break up the banks’ in light of their ongoing malfeasance. As with other recent settlements, Wednesday’s news provides further evidence to …

Big Bank ‘Crime of the Century’ Results in Guess What? No Jail Time for Anyone – Deirdre Fulton

While corporate watchdogs hailed the record $2.5 billion settlement paid by Deutsche Bank to U.S. and U.K. authorities for its rate-rigging role in the massive LIBOR scandal, some noted that the fine—while large—suggests that some institutions are still considered “too big to jail.” Authorities announced Thursday that Germany’s biggest bank would pay $2.5 billion in penalties, a record for cases involving interest …