Archive for: July, 2014

Data Scientists and the New Cool

Tom Davenport has an excellent mid-lenth piece out in the Harvard Business Review about how data science is the new sexy job.  Tom has been writing about this for quite some time.  (HBR)  Of particular note was his description of the Insight Data Science Program, which is a post-doc Silicon Valley feeder five week training…

Read More →

CIA Archives on the Tradecraft of Analysis

I just discovered the CIA has a Center for the Study of Intelligence that publishes unclassified research on a quarterly basis.  This is a nice resource of tradecraft ideas for anyone in the forensic analysis business.  The archives go back to 2Q 2008.  Happy reading.  (CIA)

Can Libor be Fixed?

The indefatigable Floyd Norris, writing in The New York Times, outlines the problems with fixing Libor as it exists today.  The article can be found here. While there can be no doubt that the world needs a no-risk reference rate, I doubt that Libor can be salvaged.

Libor Litigation – Part Deux

Reuters reports that a second wave of Libor litigation could be heading our way depending on how the rate is changed.  You can get the article here.  If you don’t feel like making the jump, here’s what you need to know: Major changes to the way Libor is set could trigger years of legal wrangling…

Read More →

Master Limited Partnership (MLP) Links

Below are some helpful links for your MLP research efforts: Comparison of different MLP ownership vehicles. Jim Cramer does a good job giving a folksy explanation of MLP basics.  Some historical information as well as an update on the MLP market.  Overview of MLP IPO issuance in 2012 as well as a 10-year chart of…

Read More →

LIBOR Scandal Becomes New Profit Center for White Collar Law Firms

Azam Ahmed of The New York Times has an great piece out in the DealBook Section about how white collar law firms are thriving, especially off of the Libor scandal.  You can find the article here.  The (literal) money quote: The global investigation into the manipulation of a crucial benchmark interest rate known as the London…

Read More →

Predictive Analytics Coming to a College Near You (To Pick Your Classes for You)

Here’s a piece from the Center for Digital Eduction about how predictive analytics are making inroads into the slow moving world of college education.  The impetus is cost savings and graduating students in four years.  The upshot: an algo might match you up with certain professors/classes.

LIBOR-Type Manipulation Possible in Many Global Indicies

Joshua Gallu of Bloomberg reports here that many of the worlds benchmarks could be subject to the same type of manipulation seen with LIBOR.  How?: Fewer than half of the benchmark interest rates surveyed in the U.S., Europe and Asia were based on actual transactions, according to a confidential International Organization of Securities Commissions discussion…

Read More →

SEC Orders Cease and Desist Proceedings Against Raymond J. Lucia Companies

In a press release here, there SEC instituted an Administrative Cease-and-Desist Proceeding against Raymond J. Lucia, Sr. and his companies.  The Order centers around claims of misrepresentations that Lucia made in his books, seminars and website. In particular, the SEC claims that Lucia’s materials failed to disclose that his “backtested” models used: A hypothetical deterministic…

Read More →

Winston & Strawn have an RMBS “Rapid Response Team”

This is not breaking news, but I came across this in my research and thought it interesting.  Law firm Winston & Strawn formed an RMBS “Rapid Response Team” earlier this year to help firms subject to investigation by President Obama’s RMBS Working Group, which was formed to investigate RMBS fraud.  A description of the team…

Read More →

Back to Top