The Mafia Is Now “‘s Largest Bank”| ZeroHedge

The Mafia Is Now “Italy’s Largest Bank” Whoever says there are no winners in the European banking crisis apparently has never woken up with a horse’s head in their bed. According to a new report by Italian anti-crime group SOS Impresa, as reported by Reuters, “Organised crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country’s biggest “bank” and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to a report on Tuesday.” You mean kinda like Intesa credit cards demanding a 39.95% APR: we knew we had seen that “life … Read more

S&P rates Subprime Mortgages higher than the USA

S&P rates Subprime Mortgages higher than the USA MHP Standard & Poor’s gives a higher rating to securities backed by subprime home loans, the same type of investments that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, than it has assigned to the US government debt. S&P is poised to provide AAA grades to 59% of Springleaf Mortgage Loan Trust 2011-1, a set of bonds tied to $497-M lent to homeowners with below-average credit scores, and virtually no equity in their properties. New York-based S&P took away the US’s Top rank on August 5, saying Washington politics were … Read more