The U.S. Senate has been investigating case histories on the workings of the commodities markets, to ensure well-functioning markets with market-based prices, effective hedging tools, and safeguards against market manipulation, conflicts of interest, and excessive speculation. This is the report of an investigation of the recent rise of banks and bank holding companies as major players in the physical markets for commodities and related businesses. It presents case studies of three major U.S. bank holding companies, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, that over the last decade were the largest bank holding company participants in physical commodity activities. The report shows how the tradition of separating banks from commerce is eroding, and along with it, protections from risks and potentially abusive conduct. It also shows how the Federal Reserve has taken insufficient steps to address this problem. Tables and figures. This is a print on demand report.

Provides an overview of the subprime mortgage securitization process and the seven key informational frictions that arise. Discusses the ways that market participants work to minimize these frictions and speculate on how this process broke down. Continues with a complete picture of the subprime borrower and the subprime loan, discussing both predatory borrowing and predatory lending. Presents the key structural features of a typical subprime securitization, documents how rating agencies assign credit ratings to mortgage-backed securities, and outlines how these agencies monitor the performance of mortgage pools over time. The authors draw upon the example of a mortgage pool securitized by New Century Financial during 2006. Illustrations.

In a recently released New York Fed staff report, we present a forward-looking monitoring program to identify and track time-varying sources of systemic risk.

Lessons learned from the Boston Marathon bombings : preparing for and responding to the attack : hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, first session, July 10, 2013.