Many bank employees try to clear their consciences regarding what happened with preference shares and other toxic products, claiming they were unaware of the inherent risks involved in those investments, which they peddled left, right and centre. Many also hide behind the excuse that the responsibility lay with their superiors, and that they were merely foot soldiers carrying out orders to sell products indiscriminately, the risks of which were concealed or ignored. And the excuse of ignorance regarding the risks posed by these products is put forward to a greater or lesser extent across the entire banking hierarchy, from private banking managers to commercial banking staff, including branch managers. But neither the hierarchy of responsibility nor ignorance absolves any of them of blame, as we shall see later. (more…)
La fiesta sigue. Después de los rallys de bolsas americanas y europeas -especialmente la española- parece que la mayoría de inversores va a volver a tropezar con la piedra de siempre. Cuándo? No se puede precisar, pero lo que es seguro es que la piedra está ahí y los inversores, ebrios de tanta subida, corren alocados como pollos sin cabeza. ¿Y cuál es la piedra en la que van a tropezar muchos? Pues lógicamente unas valoraciones de bolsas desarrolladas que para nada son ya baratas, por no decir que empiezan a estar ya caras. Sobre todo si tenemos en cuenta que los beneficios empresariales están en máximos y los tipos de interés en mínimos, lo cual inevitablemente nos acerca a su fin e inicio del ciclo inverso.
The concept is new and meets a logical and increasingly common need in a globalised world. It is common knowledge that Family Offices are companies or groups of professionals that are essentially dedicated to the management and control of the assets of one or several families, as well as to attending to all aspects that may affect these family groups, such as taxation, legal advice or assistance in family logistics and concierge services (concierging), among others. But the new figure that has appeared for the users of a Family Office (whether they are Clients of a Multi-Family Office, or owners of a Single-Family Office), is that of the Outpost FO, or global support network for a Family Office. 
A nadie se le debería escapar que lo ocurrido en Chipre puede ser el camino a seguir en el resto de la periferia, y por tanto deberíamos interesarnos muy mucho por los detalles (residencia preferida del diablo) de ese corralito/confiscación. Una de las preocupaciones, obsesiones más bien diría yo, que deberían tener los inversores periféricos en estos momentos, es la de saber si se han afectado en Chipre todos los saldos depositados en los bancos, o por el contrario se ha confiscado solamente el dinero (un porcentaje real aún por calcular) que ha entrado efectivamente en sus balances. 