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2013년 11월 23일 토요일

About 'standard accounting and reporting system'|...other thing." He or she may also "use, or cause to be used, any computer system in the place to search and examine any information contained in or available to the system." The Prince...







About 'standard accounting and reporting system'|...other thing." He or she may also "use, or cause to be used, any computer system in the place to search and examine any information contained in or available to the system." The Prince...








I               received               many               comments               on               a               previous               article               that               I               wrote               and               submitted               to               a               number               of               sites               concerning               my               theory               about               who               may               be               responsible               for               the               sub-prime               mortgage               mess.

The               article               can               be               viewed               at:               http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/557061/who_is_responsible_for_the_subprime.html               One               comment               posted               to               the               above               article               wrote               the               following:               "An               interesting               take               -               but               I               don't               think               the               blame               for               this               lies               with               lawyers               (though               some               of               them               will               be               beneficiaries).

A               government               structure               that               did               away               with               much               regulation               of               banking,               finance,               real               estate               licensing,               brokerages,               title               companies,               etc.

is               to               blame               as               well               as               a               boom               and               bust               economic               strategy               built               on               windfall               profit               scenarios."
               So,               who               would               propose               the               deregulation               of               financial               and               real               estate               firms               such               as               these               as               well               as               develop               an               economic               strategy               that               would               seek               profit               off               the               hardships               of               minority               and               low-income               individuals?
               According               to               the               statistics,               "law"               has               long               been               the               dominant               profession               for               members               of               Congress               with               228               of               the               535               members               of               the               109th               Congress               having               law               degrees               and               235               of               the               534               members               of               the               108th               Congress.

That               is               a               pretty               high               figure               when               you               take               into               account               that               according               to               the               2000               U.S.

Census               only               1.1               percent               of               the               total               United               States               population               stated               that               they               worked               in               the               legal               occupations.

Many               of               those               that               did               state               that               they               were               in               the               legal               occupations               would               not               have               been               lawyers               but               would               have               been               law               clerks               or               paralegals.
               The               commentary               also               describes               the               problem               as               the               fault               of               "Lenders               were               using               irrational               formulas               and               making               irresponsible               claims               to               buyers               about               continuing               high               prices.

They               built               the               bubble               and               they               knew               it               for               what               it               was               and               they               used               it               to               jump               start               the               economy               by               spurring               home               starts,               etc.

Look               at               the               economy               now...

When               something               as               essential               as               housing               becomes               unaffordable               to               a               majority               of               Americans               (which               it               was               in               2005/2006)               it               creates               a               sense               of               panic               and               urgency               that               is               pounced               upon               by               speculators               -               a               little               regulation               would               have               quelled               the               panic               and               kept               prices               down               longer,               preserving               affordability               and               avoiding               all               the               but               most               irresponsible               foreclosures..."
               Now,               when               you               are               a               poor,               struggling               lawyer               and               you               have               a               few               bucks               to               tuck               away               where               has               the               soundest               investment               always               been?

That's               right,               think               about               it.

Financials               have               always               been               the               safest               place               to               invest               your               dollars               and               financial               institutions               invest               heavily               in               the               real               estate               market,               but               the               real               estate               market,               as               you               say,               had               been               little               on               the               downside               in               the               1970s.

Keep               in               mind               that               financial               stocks               tend               to               be               more               than               $100               per               share.
               Key               Banking               Legislation
               Glass-Steagall               Act               (GSA)
               During               the               "Great               Depression,"               a               determination               was               made               that               improper               banking               activity               was               the               cause               of               the               1929               stock               market               crash.

Commercial               banks               were               accused               of               being               too               speculative               in               the               pre-Depression               era.

Questionable               loans               were               issued               to               companies               in               that               the               bank               invested               in,               and               then               the               clients               of               the               bank               would               be               encouraged               to               invest               in               those               same               stocks.

As               a               result               of               this               determination,               laws               were               enacted               that               blocked               banks,               stockbrokers,               and               insurance               companies               from               entering               each               other's               line               of               business.

This               law               was               called               the               Glass-Steagall               Act               (GSA).

This               established               a               regulatory               firewall               between               the               commercial               and               investment               banking               institutions.
               The               firewall               aimed               at               protecting               the               consumer               by               limiting               underwriting               activities               with               the               use               of               consumer               deposits.

Commercial               banks               could               however               underwrite               government-issued               bonds.

In               addition,               out               of               concern               for               banks               amassing               too               much               power,               further               policies               were               initiated               in               1956               limiting               the               ability               of               the               banks               to               underwrite               insurance               policies.

A               bank               could               own               an               insurance               company,               but               could               not               underwrite               the               insurance.

Over               the               years               lawmakers               have               debated               requests               by               the               aforementioned               industries               to               repeal               this               legislation               in               its               entirety.
               Community               Reinvestment               Act               of               1977
               In               response               to               the               practice               of               racially-motivated               denial               of               credit               and               with               considerable               opposition               from               the               mainstream               banking               community,               further               legislation               was               proposed               that               would               prohibit               a               bank               from               targeting               and               offering               services               to               only               the               wealthier               neighborhoods               in               their               service               area.

This               practice               was               known               as               "redlining.
               The               Community               Reinvestment               Act               of               1977               (CRA)               was               a               law               that               required               banks               to               provide               services               for               the               lower-income               customers               in               their               service               areas.

The               purpose               of               the               CRA               was               to               provide               credit,               including               home               ownership               opportunities               to               underserved               populations               and               commercial               loans               to               small               businesses.

Many               institutions               did               not               want               to               comply               with               the               provisions               of               the               CRA               so               in               1989,               Congress               passed               additional               legislation               that               required               regulators               to               oversee,               evaluate               and               make               public               an               institution's               CRA               performance.

This               change,               along               with               increased               Congressional               attention               to               the               law's               enforcement               forced               compliance.
               Additional               legislation               was               reviewed               and               changed               in               1995               to               include               allowing               sub-prime               mortgages               to               be               acquired,               classified               and               offered               as               collateral               for               a               third-party               investment.

This               was               called               securitization.

The               first               public               securitization               of               CRA               loans               started               in               1997.

Meanwhile,               millions               of               dollars               was               spent               by               the               banking,               securities               and               investment               and               insurance               interests               to               lobby               members               of               Congress,               political               parties               and               finally               the               Clinton               Administration               for               the               repeal               of               the               GSA.
               Timeline               Of               A               Well-Known,               Large-Scale               Sub-prime               Lender
               Let's               review               the               historical               timeline               of               the               actions               of               one               of               the               major               players               in               both               the               1929               stock               market               crash               and               coincidently,               what               has               become               known               as               the               "Sub-prime               Loan               Mess"               -               Citigroup
               1812               to               1921               -               On               June               16,               1812,               with               $2               million               of               capital,               City               Bank               of               New               York               (now               Citibank)               opened               for               business               in               New               York               City.

In               1822,               Farmers'               Fire               Insurance               and               Loan               Company               is               founded.

By               1894               the               bank               becomes               the               largest               bank               in               the               U.S.

The               bank               then               becomes               the               first               major               American               bank               to               offer               unsecured               personal               loans               to               its               depositors               and               opens               a               personal               loan               department.

In               1921               Charles               E.

Mitchell               is               elected               President               of               the               National               City               Bank.
               1929               -               National               City               Bank               becomes               the               largest               commercial               bank               in               the               world.

Expansion               is               accelerated               with               a               merger:               the               Farmers'               Loan               and               Trust               Company               becomes               the               City               Bank               Farmers               Trust               Company.

Charles               E.

Mitchell               becomes               chairman               of               the               bank,               the               investment               company               and               the               trust.

Mitchell,               the               presidents               of               the               three               companies               and               five               other               men               became               the               executive               committee               for               the               overall               company.
               In               a               November               1929               interview               U.S.

Senator,               Carter               Glass               declared               that               "Mitchell,               more               than               any               50               men               is               responsible               for               this               stock               crash."               Despite               this               claim,               Mitchell's               career               in               banking               did               not               end               after               the               crash.
               1933               -               The               Senate               Pecora               Commission               looks               into               the               stock               market               crash               and               investigates               Mitchell               for               his               part               in               the               tens               of               millions               dollars               in               losses,               excessive               pay,               and               tax               avoidance.
               Before               the               Pecora               Commission,               Mitchell               testified               that:
               Between               1927               and               1929               he               was               compensated               $3,556,732               by               the               bank,               a               pretty               nice               paycheck               for               the               time.

In               1929,               the               National               City               Bank               salesmen,               under               the               direction               of               Mitchell,               had               sold               1,900,000               shares               of               National               City               stock               to               the               public               for               some               $650,000,000.

After               the               crash,               National               City               loaned               $2,400,000               to               its               own               officers               to               help               them               carry               their               stock               (largely               National               City               stock).

In               addition,               to               avoid               payment               of               his               1929               Federal               income               tax,               Mitchell               sold               18,000               shares               of               his               National               City               stock               to               a               member               of               his               family               at               a               $2,800,000               loss.

When               questioned               by               one               Senator               about               how               many               securities               that               had               been               sold               to               the               public               were               in               default,               Mitchell               answered               that               "during               a               ten-year               period               our               sales               were               about               $20,000,000,000               and               I               think               there               has               been               difficulty               .

.

.

in               something               under               $1,000,000,000."
               Mitchell               was               not               immediately               dismissed               by               the               directors               of               the               bank               and               when               he               was               finally               dismissed,               it               was               with               reluctance.

The               bank               directors               allowed               their               personal               affiliations               with               Mitchell               to               override               their               responsibility               to               the               public               and               they               also               denied               that               his               actions               were               even               culpable.

Even               though               Mitchell               was               acquitted               at               trial,               he               later               repaid               the               government               more               than               a               million               dollars               in               back               taxes.
               After               the               findings               of               the               Pecora               Commission               were               made               public,               many               bankers               claimed               that               the               greater               villains               were               those               that               had               placed               the               scandal               in               the               headlines               thereby               risking               the               confidence               of               the               American               people               in               the               United               States               banking               system.
               Many               bankers               to               this               day               remain               steadfast               that               Charles               E.

Mitchell               was               a               genius               in               his               time               and               he               is               currently               listed               on               the               Harvard               Business               School               website               as               one               of               the               20th               Century               Great               American               Business               Leaders.
               1955               to1970               -               The               bank               changes               its               name               to               The               First               National               City               Bank               of               New               York.

The               negotiable               certificate               of               deposit               (CD)               is               invented               by               the               bank               and               they               enter               the               leasing               business.

The               bank               also               enters               the               credit               card               business               by               introducing               the               "Everything"               card.

The               "Everything"               card               is               converted               to               Master               Charge               (today's               MasterCard).
               1974               to               1992               -               The               First               National               City               Corporation               holding               company               changes               its               name               to               Citicorp               and               introduces               the               floating­-rate               note               into               the               U.S.

financial               market.

First               National               City               Bank               becomes               Citibank,               N.A.

(for               National               Association)               and               by               1992               becomes               the               largest               bank               in               the               United               States.
               1993               to               1998               -               Citibank               becomes               the               largest               credit               card               and               charge               card               issuer               and               servicer               in               the               world               and               by               1998               merges               the               savings               banks               acquired               in               the               1980s               and               all               Citicorp               and               Travelers               Group               divisions               into               Citigroup,               Inc.

Charles               O.

Prince               III               (lawyer)               is               named               Chief               Administrative               Officer.
               The               following               are               excerpts               from               the               April               7,               1998               transcript               of               "The               NewsHour               with               Jim               Lehrer"               touting               the               "Largest               Merger               in               History."
               In               the               largest               proposed               corporate               merger               in               history,               the               banking               giant               Citicorp               and               insurance               titan               Travelers               will               join               forces.

The               new               company,               to               be               called               Citigroup,               would               be               the               largest               financial               services               company               in               the               world.

Two               financial               analysts               discuss               the               proposed               deal               with               Phil               Ponce.
               Phil               Ponce               is               national               correspondent               for               the               NewsHour               with               Jim               Lehrer.

Prior               to               his               arrival               at               The               NewsHour,               Ponce               spent               five               years               at               Chicago               PBS               station               WTTW,               where               he               was               a               correspondent               for               Chicago               Tonight,               a               30-minute               nightly               news               analysis               program.
               PHIL               PONCE:               "Citicorps               is               the               second               largest               commercial               bank               in               the               United               States               and               the               world's               leading               distributor               of               credit               cards,               issuing               some               60               million               bank               cards.

Travelers               Group               is               a               financial               conglomerate               that               offers               insurance               and               investment               banking               services.

It               became               the               nation's               third-largest               brokerage               firm               when               it               bought               out               the               New               York               investment               firm               Salomon               Brothers               last               year.

The               merger               comes               as               Congress               once               again               considers               changes               to               banking               law.

The               1993               Glass-Steagall               Act               prevented               banks,               insurance               companies,               and               brokerage               firms               from               joining               forces.

Travelers               head               Weill               said               yesterday               he               hopes               the               proposed               merger               will               push               Congress               to               remove               those               barriers."
               SANFORD               WEILL:               "Maybe               what               we're               doing               will               cause               that               legislation               to               change,               because               I               think               that               if               you               look               to               Europe,               or               you               look               to               Asia,               organizations               like               ours               already               exist,               where               banks               and               insurance               companies               and               investment               companies               are               all               part               of               what               they               call               universal               banks.

And               what               we               are               doing               here               is               creating               a               company               headquartered               in               the               U.S.

that               will               be               able               to               compete               very               effectively               all               over               the               world."
               PHIL               PONCE:               "Joining               us               now               are               Marcus               Alexis,               who               teaches               economics               and               management               at               Northwestern               University.

He's               a               former               chairman               of               the               board               of               the               Federal               Reserve               Bank               of               Chicago.

And               Rodgin               Cohen,               a               partner               with               Sullivan               and               Cromwell,               a               New               York               law               firm.

He's               advised               several               major               mergers               of               financial               institutions.

Gentlemen,               welcome               both."
               The               Rationale               For               The               Merger.
               RODGIN               COHEN:               "I               think               there               are               a               number               of               drivers               which               lead               to               mergers               such               as               this.

One               is               the               demands               of               technology,               which               are               ever               increasing.

A               second               is               competitive               pressures               domestically.

A               third               is               globalization               of               the               financial               markets.

A               fourth               is               what               you               might               call               the               homogenization               of               financial               products,               with               products               being               similar               at               various               segments               of               the               markets.

And               then               finally               you               have               the               demands               of               customers,               both               retail               customers               and               commercial               customers,               who               want               to               obtain               a               full               range               of               financial               services               from               a               single               institution."
               PHIL               PONCE:               "Mr.

Alexis,               what               do               you               think               is               in               it               for               the               respective               parties?

Why               are               they               "getting               married"               like               this?"
               MARCUS               ALEXIS:               "Well,               as               Mr.

Cohen               said,               they               have               competitive               issues.

There               are               certain               synergies.

Not               only               do               customers               like               to               get               a               full               range               of               services               from               a               single               vendor               but               also               there               are               certain               economies               in               cross               selling               by               them.

American               banks               have               not               been               able               to               maintain               a               dominant               role               in               financial               markets               because               of               the               restrictions               imposed               upon               them               by               Glass-Steagall,               and               our               holding               bank               legislation.

This               gives               our               banks               a               chance               to               play               on               a               level               field               with               banks               in               Europe               and               in               Asia."
               Will               This               Merger               Change               The               Face               Of               Banking?
               PHIL               PONCE:               "How               about               that,               Mr.

Alexis,               has               the               banking               industry               sort               of               outgrown,               out-evolved               the               legislation               that               controls               it?"
               MARCUS               ALEXIS:               "Well,               I               think               you've               asked               the               right               question.

Has               it               outgrown               or               out-evolved?

It               wasn't               necessarily               a               mistake               to               set               up               the               kind               of               regime               that               was               done               in               the               1930's.

We               didn't               know               a               lot.

The               country               was               in               crisis.

There               was               a               need               to               do               something               quickly               and               to               do               something               dramatically.

And               so               a               series               of               banking               laws               were               passed               with               the               attempt               of               trying               to               give               the               public               confidence               in               banking.

Now,               this               regime               worked               fairly               well               until               the               late               1960's,               and               then               it               ran               into               difficulty               as               interest               rates               got               into               the               double               digits,               then               the               system               that               had               been               planned               didn't               work.

And,               after               that,               the               banks               saw               that               their               best               markets               were               beginning               to               be               eroded               by               bank--by               institutions               which               were               not               banks               in               the               regulatory               sense               but               performed               many               of               the               functions               of               banks               and               did               so               in               ways               that               made               them               more               attractive               to               bank               customers.

And               you               had               money               market               mutual               funds               that               came               along               and               took               some               of               their               best               depositors               and               little               by               little               the               banks               found               that               they               were               being               nibbled               at,               and               humbled."
               XXX
               Changes               in               Banking               Legislation
               Financial               Services               Act               of               1999
               The               intent               of               this               legislation               was               to               "modernize"               banking               laws.

The               proposed               Financial               Services               Act               of               1999               would:
               a)               Permit               affiliations               of               banking,               securities,               and               insurance               companies.
               b)               Amend               the               Federal               Deposit               Insurance               Act               preventing               the               use               of               deposit               insurance               funds               to               assist               affiliates               or               subsidiaries               of               insured               financial               institutions.
               c)               Require               clear               disclosure               of               fees               for               privacy               policies               and               on               transaction               fees               for               use               of               ATMs.
               d)               Reform               the               Federal               Home               Loan               Bank               System               into               making               membership               voluntary               and               replaces               the               annual               payment               made               by               those               banks               for               interest               on               bonds               issued               by               the               Resolution               Funding               Corporation               with               an               percentage               assessment               of               the               bank's               net               income.
               e)               Eliminate               the               requirement               that               the               Federal               Deposit               Insurance               Corporation               (FDIC)               retain               a               "special               reserve"               for               the               Savings               Association               Insurance               Fund.
               f)               Require               General               Accounting               Office               to               prepare               six               reports               that               are               available               to               the               public               unless               restricted               or               classified.
               g)               Require               affiliates               of               bank               holding               companies               and               bank               subsidiaries               to               obtain               the               approval               of               the               Federal               Reserve               and               the               Treasury               before               engaging               in               any               new               activities.
               h)               Institutions               that               conduct               banking,               securities,               or               insurance               activities               would               be               regulated               by               the               agency               responsible               for               each               such               activity               and               this               legislation               would               also               bar               judges               from               deferring               to               the               expertise               of               the               Office               of               the               Comptroller               of               the               Currency.
               i)               Terminate               the               authority               of               the               Office               of               Thrift               Supervision               to               grant               new               charters               for               unitary               savings               and               loan               holding               companies               for               all               applications               other               than               those               approved               or               pending               as               of               March               4,               1999.
               j)               Create               a               new,               uninsured               charter               for               national               or               state               banks               known               as               "wholesale               financial               institutions."
               k)               Require               federal               banking               agencies               to               develop               regulations               governing               retail               sales               of               insurance               products               and               securities               by               depository               institutions.
               The               House               did               approve               the               Financial               Services               Act               of               1999               with               the               requirement               that               financial               institutions               allow               customers               to               opt               out               of               information-sharing               activities               and               tougher               penalties               could               be               applied               to               banks               that               were               out               of               compliance               with               the               CRA.
               President               Clinton               (lawyer)               signed               the               legislation               in               late               1999.
               Revision               of               the               Community               Reinvestment               Act
               The               next               hurdle               for               the               banking               industry               was               the               CRA               and               it               was               up               for               review               and               revision               beginning               in               2002.

The               first               step               was               a               public               commentary               period.

Among               the               banking               community,               there               was               a               consensus               that               the               collection               of               data,               and               the               recordkeeping               and               reporting               requirements               were               a               burden               on               the               smaller               community               institutions,               so               changes               in               those               requirements               were               requested               in               order               to               reduce               some               of               those               requirements.
               In               addition,               there               were               proposed               changes               that               removed               holding               company               affiliations               as               a               factor               in               determining               which               CRA               evaluation               standards               would               apply               to               a               bank.

The               asset               size               of               the               holding               company               no               longer               had               a               bearing               on               which               test               applies               to               a               bank.
               Another               major               change               in               CRA               relates               to               how               evidence               of               discrimination               or               other               illegal               credit               practices               would               affect               a               bank's               CRA               rating.

Banks               would               not               only               be               responsible               for               their               own               compliance               but               would               also               be               assessed               on               the               compliance               of               affiliates               within               the               assessment               area.

Senior               management               and               compliance               officials               at               the               financial               institutions               would               need               to               know               the               status               of               an               affiliate's               record               with               regard               to               the               laws               and               regulations               before               deciding               to               include               its               CRA               loan               data               as               a               part               of               the               performance               evaluation.
               Revision               of               the               CRA               was               published               in               August               2005               and               became               effective               in               September               2005.
               The               Citigroup               Legacy
               Citigroup,               along               with               Ameriquest               has               long               been               accused               of               predatory               lending               practices               and               on               at               least               two               occasions               Citigroup               has               paid               their               way               out               of               lawsuits               with               Federal               agencies,               one               for               $240               million               with               the               Federal               Trade               Commission,               and               the               other               for               $70               million               in               2004               with               the               Federal               Reserve.

Additionally,               on               July               24,               2007               Citigroup               was               fined               $50               million               by               the               New               York               Stock               Exchange's               regulatory               arm               for               using               deceptive               market-timing               practices               on               behalf               of               hedge               funds.

The               market-timing               was               reportedly               widespread,               involving               more               than               150               financial               consultants               in               60               branches               in               about               250,000               marketing-timing               exchanges               on               behalf               of               more               than               1,100               customers...
               Inner               City               Press               is               non-profit               community,               consumers'               and               human               rights               organization               headquartered               in               the               South               Bronx               of               New               York               City,               engaged               in               cutting-edge               advocacy,               reporting               and               organizing               in               the               fields               of               community               reinvestment,               fair               access               to               credit,               insurance               and               telecommunications,               environmental               justice               and               government               and               corporate               human               rights               accountability.

The               organization               closely               monitors               the               actions               of               Citigroup.

The               following               excerpts               are               from               an               article               that               was               published               by               Inner               City               Press               commenting               on               the               acquisition               of               Ameriquest               by               Citigroup:
               With               Subprime               Hot               Air               in               DC,               Cold-Blooded               Citigroup               Buys               Ameriquest
               Byline:               Matthew               R.

Lee               of               Inner               City               Press
               "As               President               George               W.

Bush               and               Federal               Reserve               chairman               Ben               Bernanke               Friday               wrung               their               hands               in               Washington               about               the               sub-prime               mortgage               meltdown,               New               York-based               Citigroup               announced               it               was               buying               a               chunk               of               admitted               predatory               lender               Ameriquest.

Citigroup               is               a               meta-predator,               taking               advantage               of               the               foreclosure               boom               to               scoop               up               one               of               the               most               abusive               lenders               at               a               temporarily               reduced               price.

The               head               of               Citigroup's               "global               securitized               markets"               unit,               Jeffrey               Perlowitz,               said               the               takeover               "allows               Citigroup               to               secure               valuable               and               scalable               platforms               in               a               market               undergoing               significant               change."               Some               thought               predatory               lending               was               a               market               being               discredited               and               shrinking.

To               Citigroup,               it's               just               change               that               can               be               scaled               up."
               "The               founder               of               Ameriquest,               Roland               Arnall,               who               has               made               billions               from               predatory               lending,               was               nominated               by               President               Bush               as               Ambassador               to               the               Netherlands.

While               a               few               U.S.

Senators               delayed               his               confirmation               until               Ameriquest               finalized               a               settlement               with               state               attorneys               general,               now               Arnall               will               profit               again,               selling               the               remainder               of               the               company               to               Citigroup.

The               losers               in               the               deal               are               the               borrowers               from               whom               Citigroup               will               even               more               ruthlessly               squeeze               payments               on               loans               that               were               misleading               and               abusive               from               the               start,               and               future               borrowers               whom               Citigroup               will               target               with               the               ex-Ameriquest               "scalable               platform."
               "2006               was               the               third               year               in               which               the               data               distinguishes               which               loans               are               higher               cost,               over               the               federally-defined               rate               spread               of               three               percent               over               the               yield               on               Treasury               securities               of               comparable               duration               on               first               lien               loans,               five               percent               on               subordinate               liens.

Citigroup               in               2006,               in               its               headquarters               Metropolitan               Statistical               Area               of               New               York               City,               confined               African               Americans               to               higher-cost               loans               above               this               rate               spread               4.41               times               more               frequently               than               whites,               according               to               Fair               Finance               Watch.

Citi's               disparity               to               Latinos               was               2.38.

Meanwhile               Citigroup               is               now               buying               a               unit               of               Ameriquest,               91.65%               of               whose               loans               in               2006               were               sub-prime."
               "Citigroup               loves               sub-prime,               and               has               no               scruples               in               this               field.

Its               corporate               DNA               goes               back               to               a               Baltimore-based               predatory               lender               called               Commercial               Credit,               which               Sandy               Weill               and               Charles               "Chuck"               Prince               took               over               in               the               1980s.

After               their               company,               by               then               called               Travelers,               acquired               Citicorp               in               1998,               the               next               big               deal               was               to               scale               up               sub-prime               lending,               by               taking               over               Associates               First               Capital               Corporation,               which               was               being               sued               for               fraud               all               over               the               country."
               XXX
               October               29,               2007:               Citigroup               has               reported               $6.5               billion               in               credit-related               losses,               write               downs               and               extra               costs,               on               its               $2.4               trillion               in               assets...

Meanwhile,               it's               reported               that               Hungary's               Office               of               Economic               Competition               (GVH)               has               fined               Citigroup               HUF               $12               million,               saying               it               misled               its               customers               in               advertisements               regarding               the               interest-free               usage               of               credit               cards.

Citigroup               failed               to               note               in               its               ads               that               the               interest-free               usage               was               only               valid               when               the               cards               were               used               for               purchases               but               not               for               cash               withdrawals.

The               ads               also               failed               to               inform               customers               that               the               entire               debt               had               to               be               paid               by               the               given               deadline               for               interest-free               usage...
               Chuck               Prince               released               this               statement               in               November               2007:"Given               the               size               of               the               recent               losses               in               our               mortgage-backed               securities               business,               the               only               honorable               course               for               me               to               take               as               chief               executive               officer               is               to               step               down."               Prince               walked               away               with               an               estimated               $99               million               in               vested               stock               holdings               and               a               pension,               according               to               an               analysis               by               New               York-based               compensation               consultant               James               Reda.

Prince               had               already               pocketed               $53.1               million               in               salary               and               bonuses               over               the               last               four               years,               Reda               said.
               Citigroup               Stock               price               dropped               47.11%               in               2007
               The               Lawyer               Connection
               It               is               very               difficult               to               attain               information               about               the               finances               of               attorneys.

Attorneys               absolutely               do               not               want               anyone               to               know               what               they               might               be               making               on               a               lawsuit,               even               if               you               are               the               one               paying               the               bill.

It               is               even               more               complicated               to               obtain               an               itemized               statement               from               an               attorney               requiring               that               you               pay               attorney's               fees               during               litigations               when               you               are               not               his               client,               amazingly               they               think               this               is               none               of               your               business.

You               are               just               expected               to               pay               whatever               the               attorney               reports               to               the               court               as               "attorney's               fees"               without               questioning               how               they               actually               earned               the               money.
               In               an               article               written               by               Jill               Nawrocki               and               dated               September               12,               2006               on               the               "Corporate               Counsel"               website               there               appears               an               article               about               Citigroup               attorneys               lending               a               help               to               Katrina               Victims.

The               article               reports               that               "associate               GC               David               Goldberg               began               knocking               on               the               doors               of               New               Orleans'               small               businesses               this               winter,               he               found               local               store               owners               who               were               left               with               nothing               after               Hurricane               Katrina.

Many               of               the               people               he               spoke               with               were               skeptical               of               legal               assistance               and               confused               by               the               idea               of               pro               bono               help.

But               seven               months               and               several               trips               later,               Goldberg               and               other               attorneys               have               assisted               nearly               1,000               small               businesses               in               securing               relief.

And               that's               just               for               starters."
               It               goes               on               to               say               that               "Since               January,               about               25               of               Citigroup's               roughly               500               U.S.-based               attorneys               have               logged               350               hours               on               Katrina-related               pro               bono               work."               And               "Even               staff               lawyers               at               the               New               York-based               financial               services               giant               who               couldn't               travel               to               the               Gulf               Coast               pitched               in               by               working               on               appeals               to               the               Federal               Emergency               Management               Agency."
               Surely               everyone               knows               that               these               attorneys               didn't               do               this               purely               out               of               the               goodness               of               their               hearts?

Pro               bono               simply               means               that               the               small               business               owners               didn't               directly               pay               for               the               lawyer's               services.

Pro               bono               means               that               tax               payers               paid               for               the               services               of               these               lawyers               and               most               likely,               at               a               shockingly               exaggerated               rate.

In               addition               to               their               hourly               rates,               these               firms               wrote               off               all               their               expenses               such               as               hotels,               air               fare,               etc...

-               and               then               some.
               One               of               the               firms               associated               with               Citigroup               in               the               past               is:               Stroock               &               Stroock               &               Lavan.

Contained               on               the               website               for               this               firm               under               sub-prime               is               the               following               information:
               "In               addition               to               our               litigation               expertise,               Stroock               is               a               recognized               market               leader               in               the               securitization               of               prime,               sub-prime               and               revolving               home               equity               loans.

Stroock               was               among               the               first               firms               to               advise               on               mortgage-backed               bond               issuances,               and               in               the               last               year               alone,               our               Structured               Finance               and               Real               Estate               attorneys               have               represented               clients               in               the               origination               of               over               $8               billion               of               commercial               real               estate               financings.

We               have               served               as               deal               counsel               for               issuances               by               Bear,               Stearns               &               Co.

Inc.

and               many               of               its               affiliates,               issuers               counsel               for,               among               others,               GRP/AG               Capital,               LLC               and               Thornburg               Mortgage               Home               Loans               Inc.,               a               REIT,               and               underwriters               counsel               for               issuances               by               Wells               Fargo               Home               Mortgage               and               GMAC               Mortgage               Corporation.

We               represent               underwriters               each               month               in               connection               with               REMIC               and               other               securities               issued               by               Fannie               Mae,               Freddie               Mac               and               Ginnie               Mae.

Our               mortgage               lending               practice               is               also               one               component               of               a               large,               national               commercial               real               estate               practice.

We               represent               institutional               and               private               owner               and               investor               clients               in               virtually               all               aspects               of               commercial               real               estate               law,               including               sales               and               acquisitions,               joint               ventures,               real               estate               development,               commercial               leasing,               condominium               and               cooperative               plans,               land               use               and               tax               certiorari."
               This               is               one,               only               one,               of               Citigroup's               attorneys.

Citigroup               has               more               than               500               law               firms               representing               them               and               if               only               half               of               those               are               investing               in               their               clients               and,               if               each               of               the               other               sub-prime               lenders               has               just               as               many               lawyers               who               happen               to               invest               in               them,               then               lawyers               are               not               only               benefiting;               they               are               benefiting               BIG.
               Lawyers               are               not               required               to               make               their               financials               public.

Indeed,               there               is               very               little               that               prevents               lawyers               from               doing               absolutely               anything               they               want               to.

There               is               a               standard               of               "innocent               until               proven               guilty"               in               this               country               however,               everyone               knows               that               this               standard               does               not               seem               to               be               applied               equally               to               the               lower-income               classes               or               minorities.

With               lawyers,               there               is               a               sense               that               they               are               above               reproach               and               should               be               given               any               benefit               of               a               doubt.

They               have               surely               enjoyed               that               status.
               There               are               consumers               out               there               that               are               in               mortgage               foreclosure               who               only               owe               $1000               in               back               payments               to               their               mortgage               lender,               but               $4000               in               fees               to               the               mortgage               lender's               attorneys.

When               the               foreclosure               is               filed,               the               attorneys               begin               charging               fees               on               a               daily               basis.

Of               course,               the               attorney               is               not               actually               working               on               that               case               daily,               but               they               are               charging               fees               daily.

If               you               ask               for               a               detailed               statement               of               how               the               attorney               comes               up               with               what               is               owed               -               you               will               simply               not               get               one.

What               you               might               get,               if               you               insist               by               a               motion               to               the               court,               is               a               3-4               line               paragraph               that               outlines:               what               you               owe               to               the               lender               in               back               payments               and               interest,               an               entry               for               an               appraisal               and               property               inspection               (even               though               they               don't               actually               do               an               appraisal               or               inspection),               and               then               two               other               entries               which               will               probably               amount               to               more               than               what               you               owe               the               lender               for               "Foreclosure               Fees"               and               "Foreclosure               Costs."               These               are               lump               sum               figures.
               Additionally,               if               you               are               in               foreclosure               and               you               obtain               the               funds               to               catch               up               the               mortgage               payments,               the               mortgage               company               will               not               accept               the               payments.

The               lawyer               must               be               paid               first.

When               you               contact               the               lawyer               to               find               out               how               much               to               pay,               it               could               take               them               up               to               two               weeks               to               answer               that               question               and               you               can't               simply               request               the               information               by               telephone               -               you               must               fax               them               a               request.

In               the               two               weeks               you               are               waiting               to               find               out               what               to               pay,               you               continue               to               get               charged               daily               attorney's               fees.

Then,               there               is               the               question               of               how               to               pay.

There               can               be               many               rules               that               the               attorney               has               regarding               how               they               will               accept               the               funds.
               Some               attorney's               have               a               practice               of               telling               you               what               funds               to               send               and               how               to               send               them               by               snail               mail               but,               by               the               time               you               get               the               information               -               you               are               past               the               date               for               sending               the               funds               because               the               required               date               for               payment               was               the               day               they               sent               out               the               mail.

Therefore,               it               will               take               another               two               weeks               to               establish               another               date               for               sending               the               funds.

This               cute               trick               is               practiced               by               at               least               one               law               firm,               Castle               Meinhold               &               Stawiarski               of               Colorado               Springs,               CO               who               represents               Wells               Fargo               Bank               who               services               loans               for               Washington               Mutual.
               In               Conclusion
               The               law               profession               is               in               dire               need               of               regulation               for               the               public               good.

Caps               should               be               placed               on               what               a               lawyer               is               able               to               charge.

Financials               and               affiliations               should               be               made               public.
               It               is               not               sufficient               anymore               for               the               average               person               to               just               graduate               high               school               with               general               studies.

In               order               to               protect               ourselves,               we               need               to               be               able               to               recognize               the               predators               that               we               are               dealing               with               in               everyday               life.

Rather               than               trying               to               shuffle               our               kids               off               to               trade               schools,               Law               and               how               it               applies               to               our               everyday               lives               should               be               the               main               course               of               study               during               the               last               year               of               high               school.
               Who               is               responsible               for               the               sub-prime               mortgage?
               Let's               see,               the               majority               of               our               Congress               are               lawyers               by               profession.

It               took               Congress               and               the               Presidents               (both               of               whom               were               lawyers)               to               deregulate               laws               that               protected               us               from               the               banks               becoming               involved               in               stocks.

Many               law               firms               have               a               vested               interest               in               the               bank               stock.

Law               firms               also               profit               from               foreclosure.

Conclusion:               Lawyers.






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