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  1. #31
    action-reaction arco's Avatar
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    Default Rogue trader cost broker MF Global $142M

    T took only seven hours early on Wednesday for a trader at MF Global to make bad bets on the direction of wheat prices that cascaded into $US141.5 million ($149 million) in losses at the brokerage firm and exposed another breakdown in Wall Street's risk management. The announcement of the ill-fated trades was an embarrassment for the Bermuda-based futures and derivatives firm, which suffered a 28 per cent drop in its share price. It was the steepest decline since MF Global was spun off last year from hedge fund giant Man Group, and the blow-up raised questions about how one of the largest customers on several futures exchanges could have left itself so exposed to a single trader's bets.
    MF Global identified the trader as Evan Dooley, who worked in the firm's Memphis office until he was fired for having "substantially exceeded his authorised trading limit".
    In an interview, the 40-year-old Mr Dooley, who goes by his middle name, Brent, blamed the trading loss on the computer systems he was using. That system "failed on a lot of things", he said, including problems in "setting limits". He declined to be more specific.
    MF Global insisted that the breakdowns resulting in the steep loss were isolated and have been fixed. But Kevin Davis, the brokerage's chief executive, acknowledged that existing internal controls could have stopped Mr Dooley's trades from being processed - but were turned off in certain cases to allow for speedier transactions by brokers at the firm who traded for themselves.
    "This is an absolutely awful event but we believe it was an aberration in our risk controls and we have fixed it," Mr Davis said.
    Mr Dooley, who has spent more than 15 years in the rough-and-tumble business of commodities trading, was betting that wheat prices would fall from their record levels, according to a person familiar with the situation. Wheat and other commodities have surged in recent weeks because of strong demand, tight supply and a cash infusion from investors.
    MF Global's risk management procedures include "buying power controls" that are supposed to flag big or risky trades that might expose the firm to potential losses. But those internal controls had been turned off at the Memphis office and possibly other locations in order to speed up trades. The surge in commodities trading volume has created pressure on brokerage firms to keep up.
    The Chicago Board of Trade handled Mr Dooley's orders. By Wednesday morning, though, wheat prices were moving sharply higher, meaning that Mr Dooley was suffering losses that far exceeded the balance in his own trading account. Since his account was depleted, MF Global was forced to step in and fund the trader's losing position. "It happened very quickly," Mr Davis said. Mr Dooley did not have the capital "to support even a fraction of his positions".
    Traders in Chicago said MF Global's buying binge pushed wheat prices higher and fuelled heavy trading on Wednesday. It took several hours to undo Mr Dooley's trades.
    The MF Global mess was "certainly the main thing" that caused the market to gyrate on Wednesday, said Vic Lespinasse, an analyst at Illinois Grain and a veteran CBOT floor trader. The most actively traded May wheat contract surged to the CBOT-imposed limit of $US1.35 a bushel.
    Covering Mr Dooley's short positions cost MF Global $US141.5 million in cash, or about $US80 million on an after-tax basis. That is equal to 6 per cent of the brokerage firm's capital - and exceeds the company's net income in the fiscal third quarter.
    Some of the loss may be recovered from insurers, but Mr Dooley is unlikely to make much of a contribution. The trader "does not appear to be terribly long of assets", Mr Davis said.



    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...rom=public_rss
    Last edited by arco; 01-03-2008 at 01:28 PM.
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  2. #32
    Guru Xerof's Avatar
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    Tsk Tsk - hang down your head Tom Dooley

    Once again, internal controls fail

    regards to you all

    Xerof

  3. #33
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    Smile

    Hi Xerof
    i imagine people could loose big time back in 1906 but these days everybody gets to hear about the likes of Tom Dooley, not good for self esteem,poor boy your bound to .....

    Inside a Chicago bucket shop, 1906. Reprinted from the Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum, DN-0002971. Reproduced courtesy of the Chicago History Museum.

    Last edited by roddy; 01-03-2008 at 09:38 PM.

  4. #34
    Legend peat's Avatar
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    pfft a mere 170mill hahah

    love the way they say that 'the trader does not appear to be terribly long of assets"

    cool picture roddy but where are the buckets?
    For clarity, nothing I say is advice....

  5. #35
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    Talking

    PEAT

    here are the buckets one for you one for Arco and DB

    Last edited by roddy; 03-03-2008 at 08:08 PM.

  6. #36
    action-reaction arco's Avatar
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    ING shuts out investors as CDO losses mount

    ING bowed to the inevitable yesterday by halting redemptions on two of its funds hit harshly by the sub-prime credit crisis, leaving approximately 8,000 investors stranded indefinitely.

    Thursday, 13 March 2008

    By David Chaplin
    The move comes in the wake of similar bad news from the Absolute Capital, Macquarie, Basis Capital and Forsyth Barr and New Zealand Funds Management, which have all faced serious losses in collateralised debt obligation (CDO) products.
    However, the two ING CDO-related funds dwarfed these comparable products having collectively raised about $850 million from New Zealand investors.
    Together the ING Diversified Yield Fund (DYF) and the Regular Income Fund (RIF) have dropped in value by almost $320 million since last June.
    According to the funds' financial statements as at June 30, 2007, the DYF was valued at $592 million, with the RIF priced at almost $250 million.
    Steve Giannoulis, ING head of marketing, said yesterday the DYF was worth $353 million and the RIF $167 million.
    Giannoulis said after a run on redemptions over the last few months the funds could no longer pay out investors without jeopardising the remaining unit holders as it no longer had enough cash to meet requests.
    In the June 2007 financial statements the DYF was reported as holding $80 million in cash and the RIF $23 million.
    With cash running dry ING would now be forced to start selling the funds' assets to meet redemptions.
    In a letter to investors sent yesterday, ING said it would be hard to find buyers for the funds' underlying CDO assets "in the current illiquid market".
    "Second, as a 'forced seller', if the better quality assets were sold at uncertain or 'quick sale prices' below their true value, the overall quality of the Funds' assets would suffer, penalising investors who remained," the letter says.
    "Third, the extreme lack of liquidity and sentiment in credit markets is making it increasingly difficult to reliably value the assets."
    According to the ING website, the DYF unit price had sunk to 0.81 with the RIF hitting a low of 0.7. The halt on redemptions in both funds was made effective from March 13, the ING letter says.
    "Pending withdrawal requests that were due to be paid on 15 March will not be processed; there can be no exceptions to this," the letter says.
    Giannoulis said the DYF and RIF trust deeds allowed the trustees to halt withdrawals as long as the economic and financial conditions prevailed with no time period when the funds must be wound up.
    The DYF closed to new investors in January 2006, but the RIF was still receiving funds as late as last week, but is now no longer accepting investments.
    "The RIF will continue to distribute income on a quarterly basis as normal, but reinvestment to buy additional units will not be accepted. Distributions will be paid to investors as cash," the ING letter says. "To the extent that income is available to be paid from DYF at 30 June, the current intention is to pay this out to investors as cash, rather than for it to be reinvested as bonus units."
    ING said it would "defer" the management and trustee fees while the two funds remained in limbo.
    "Fees will be accounted for in the unit price but not deducted, leaving the money invested in the Funds," its letter to investors says. "Advisers will, however, continue to receive monthly trail commission."
    In the year to June 30, 2007, ING collected just over $8.3 million in fees for managing the DYF and a further $2.6 million from the RIF.



    http://www.goodreturns.co.nz/article/976493853.html
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  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by arco View Post
    ING shuts out investors as CDO losses mount

    ING bowed to the inevitable yesterday by halting redemptions on two of its funds hit harshly by the sub-prime credit crisis, leaving approximately 8,000 investors stranded indefinitely.

    Thursday, 13 March 2008

    By David Chaplin
    The move comes in the wake of similar bad news from the Absolute Capital, Macquarie, Basis Capital and Forsyth Barr and New Zealand Funds Management, which have all faced serious losses in collateralised debt obligation (CDO) products.
    However, the two ING CDO-related funds dwarfed these comparable products having collectively raised about $850 million from New Zealand investors.
    Together the ING Diversified Yield Fund (DYF) and the Regular Income Fund (RIF) have dropped in value by almost $320 million since last June.
    According to the funds' financial statements as at June 30, 2007, the DYF was valued at $592 million, with the RIF priced at almost $250 million.
    Steve Giannoulis, ING head of marketing, said yesterday the DYF was worth $353 million and the RIF $167 million.
    Giannoulis said after a run on redemptions over the last few months the funds could no longer pay out investors without jeopardising the remaining unit holders as it no longer had enough cash to meet requests.
    In the June 2007 financial statements the DYF was reported as holding $80 million in cash and the RIF $23 million.
    With cash running dry ING would now be forced to start selling the funds' assets to meet redemptions.
    In a letter to investors sent yesterday, ING said it would be hard to find buyers for the funds' underlying CDO assets "in the current illiquid market".
    "Second, as a 'forced seller', if the better quality assets were sold at uncertain or 'quick sale prices' below their true value, the overall quality of the Funds' assets would suffer, penalising investors who remained," the letter says.
    "Third, the extreme lack of liquidity and sentiment in credit markets is making it increasingly difficult to reliably value the assets."
    According to the ING website, the DYF unit price had sunk to 0.81 with the RIF hitting a low of 0.7. The halt on redemptions in both funds was made effective from March 13, the ING letter says.
    "Pending withdrawal requests that were due to be paid on 15 March will not be processed; there can be no exceptions to this," the letter says.
    Giannoulis said the DYF and RIF trust deeds allowed the trustees to halt withdrawals as long as the economic and financial conditions prevailed with no time period when the funds must be wound up.
    The DYF closed to new investors in January 2006, but the RIF was still receiving funds as late as last week, but is now no longer accepting investments.
    "The RIF will continue to distribute income on a quarterly basis as normal, but reinvestment to buy additional units will not be accepted. Distributions will be paid to investors as cash," the ING letter says. "To the extent that income is available to be paid from DYF at 30 June, the current intention is to pay this out to investors as cash, rather than for it to be reinvested as bonus units."
    ING said it would "defer" the management and trustee fees while the two funds remained in limbo.
    "Fees will be accounted for in the unit price but not deducted, leaving the money invested in the Funds," its letter to investors says. "Advisers will, however, continue to receive monthly trail commission."
    In the year to June 30, 2007, ING collected just over $8.3 million in fees for managing the DYF and a further $2.6 million from the RIF.



    http://www.goodreturns.co.nz/article/976493853.html
    Was just reading that.......

    Appears the CDO/sub-prime debt eagle has landed(in NZ)

  8. #38
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    Default Nfa

    Notice to Members I-08-13
    March 12, 2008
    Attention: Futures Commission Merchants and Introducing Brokers

    Regulatory Reminder Regarding Assets Held Outside the United States

    NFA has received inquiries from Members regarding the treatment of deposits at foreign banks for purposes of meeting segregation, secured amount, liabilities owed to retail forex customers, and net capital requirements. The purpose of this reminder is to briefly summarize the current regulatory treatment of such deposits.1

    Customer Segregated Funds and Secured Amount

    CFTC Rules 1.49(d)(3) and 30.7 establish the requirements for the denomination and location of customer segregated funds and the secured amount, respectively.

    Rules 1.49 and 30.7 provide, in pertinent part, that customer funds may be held at: (1) a bank or trust company located outside the U.S. if the institution has in excess of $1 billion of regulatory capital or its commercial paper or long-term debt or, if part of a holding company system, its holding company's commercial paper or long-term debt, is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (2) a futures commission merchant registered with the CFTC; or (3) a derivatives clearing organization. For the secured amount, Rule 30.7 also permits funds to be held at a member of a foreign board of trade or its designated depositories or the designated depositories of a derivatives clearing organization. Rule 1.49 further requires that, unless a customer instructs otherwise, segregated customer funds must be held in the U.S., a money center country (i.e., Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, and the U.K.), or the country of origin of the currency, provided that the firm continues to meet the segregation requirements set forth in Rule 1.49(e).

    Liabilities Owed to Retail Forex Customers

    NFA Financial Requirements Section 14 provides that a Forex Dealer Member may hold assets outside the United States for meeting its liabilities to U.S. customers only if those assets are in a money center country, as defined in CFTC Rule 1.49. Further, the institution at which the assets are held must be: (1) a bank or trust company regulated in the money center country in which it is located that has in excess of $1 billion of regulatory capital or its commercial paper or long-term debt or, if part of a holding company system, its holding company's commercial paper or long-term debt, is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (2) an entity located in a money center country, regulated there as the equivalent of a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant, and either has in excess of $100 million of regulatory capital or have its commercial paper or long-term debt rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization; or (3) a futures commission merchant registered with the CFTC and a Member of NFA. If assets are being held in a money center country, the Forex Dealer Member must also file with NFA a signed agreement with the qualifying institution authorizing that institution to directly provide to NFA and the CFTC information regarding the Forex Dealer Member's accounts.

    Net Capital

    The instructions to the Form 1-FR-FCM provide that in order to be considered as current assets for capital purposes, offshore deposits of proprietary funds must be held in a major money market country2 at a bank or trust company that has net assets in excess of $100 million and is subject to regulatory supervision by an authority of a sovereign national government. These requirements are not the same as those for segregation and the secured amount, and a foreign depository may be permissible for one purpose but not the other.

    Questions concerning this notice should be directed to Sharon Pendleton, Director Compliance (spendleton@nfa.futures.org or 312-781-1401) or Michael A. Piracci, Senior Attorney (mpiracci@nfa.futures.org or 312-781-1419).

    1 This notice addresses only those requirements pertaining to foreign depositories and is not intended to address all requirements regarding the acceptance and holding of customer funds or the Member's capital. As always, Members are reminded to review all pertinent rules and regulations.

    2 For purposes of the net capital rule, those countries considered to be major money markets are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong-Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States and United Kingdom.

  9. #39
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    Default Nfa

    Notice to Members I-08-12
    March 10, 2008
    Attention: Forex Dealer Members

    Alternative Language for Customer Disclosure

    As of June 1, 2008, forex dealer members ("FDMs") must provide, and customers must acknowledge, prescribed disclosure language prior to the time a customer first engages in a forex transaction. In adopting this requirement, NFA's Board of Directors provided that NFA staff may approve alternative language where appropriate based upon an FDM's business model.

    In response to individual requests, NFA has approved alternative language to be used in lieu of the prescribed disclosure where the FDM's business model, unlike the typical counterparty relationship, has the following characteristics: (1) when a retail customer enters an order on the FDM's platform, the FDM automatically (without human intervention and without exception) enters into the same transaction with another counterparty, creating an offsetting position in its own name; (2) the FDM confirms to the retail customer the price at which the order has been executed, which is the same price at which the FDM entered into the offsetting position; (3) the FDM does not profit from any resulting market movement as its offsetting transaction will result in the same profit or loss as the retail customer's transaction; and (4) the FDM's sole manner of compensation is a commission charge on each trade.

    Any FDM whose business model is the same as that described above may use the alternative language set forth below. An FDM must provide NFA with written notice of its intention to use this alternative language and include in such notice a representation that it's business model is the same as that described above. Such written notice must be signed by a principal of the FDM that is also an NFA Associate.

    The alternative language that may be substituted is as follows:

    THE FOREIGN CURRENCY TRADING YOU ARE ENTERING INTO IS NOT CONDUCTED ON AN EXCHANGE. [MEMBER] IS ACTING AS A COUNTERPARTY IN THESE TRANSACTIONS AND, THEREFORE, ACTS AS THE BUYER WHEN YOU SELL AND THE SELLER WHEN YOU BUY. THE PRICES [MEMBER] OFFERS MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST PRICES AVAILABLE.

    ALTHOUGH [MEMBER] IS THE COUNTERPARTY TO EACH OF YOUR TRADES, [MEMBER] LIMITS RISK TO ITSELF BY INSTANTANEOUSLY OFFSETTING THE TRADES AND POSITIONS IT ENTERS INTO WITH YOU WITH A BANK OR INSTITUTIONAL MARKET MAKER. AS A RESULT, [MEMBER] DOES NOT PROFIT WHEN YOU LOSE MONEY ON A TRADE. RATHER, [MEMBER] EARNS COMMISSIONS ON EACH TRADE IT ENTERS INTO WITH YOU. THE AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS CHARGED IS DISCLOSED ON PAGE [x] OF THE CUSTOMER AGREEMENT.

    Questions concerning this notice should be directed to Michael A. Piracci, Senior Attorney (mpiracci@nfa.futures.org or 312-781-1419) or Sharon Pendleton, Director Compliance (spendleton@nfa.futures.org or 312-781-1401).

  10. #40
    action-reaction arco's Avatar
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    Default Investors irate at advice from ANZ

    Investors irate at advice from ANZ


    ANZ says it is confident it recommended the funds to clients in the appropriate manner and for the right reasons. Photo / Herald on Sunday

    Angry investors are questioning why their ANZ financial advisers put them into funds now paralysed by the credit crisis.
    On Wednesday investment manager ING announced it was indefinitely suspending withdrawals from its Diversified Yield and Regular Income funds "due to the recent extreme deterioration in liquidity in credit markets".
    Around 8000 clients have $521 million invested in the funds.
    The funds were based largely on CDOs (Collaterised Debt Obligations) and CLOs (Collaterised Loan Obligations), complex financial products which bundle various types of debt into a security.
    ING New Zealand is 49 per cent-owned by ANZ National Bank.
    Investors who have lost tens of thousands of dollars on the value of their investments in the funds have been left wondering why ANZ steered them towards these products.
    One retired Taranaki farming couple put their life savings of $110,000 into the ING Regular Income Fund last March on the advice of their ANZ adviser. They have since lost $34,000 on the value of that investment.
    Their son says his father has had a nervous breakdown over the stress of the losses, and he has had to take over power of attorney.
    The son said his parents had been in an ANZ superannuation fund which wasn't providing a high return, so they asked the bank for advice on a better investment.
    He said a financial adviser was sent round who put them on to the Regular Income Fund, "in their words saying, 'it's as safe as being in the bank but you get 1 per cent higher'."
    "That's basically how it was sold," the son said.
    Retired investor Eddie Graham and his wife invested $490,000 in a portfolio devised by their ANZ adviser. The money was put into four ING-managed funds, including more than 30 per cent into the Diversified Yield Fund, and into UDC Finance - owned by ANZ National Bank.
    The Grahams have lost around $23,000 on the value of their Diversified Yield Fund investment.
    They have since sought independent financial advice, and have been told their investment portfolio did not match their request for a conservative risk profile - the adviser categorised the portfolio as medium risk.
    In addition the adviser told them no more than 10 per cent of their funds should have gone into the Diversified Yield Fund.
    "Research by investment advisers would have raised warnings about the significance of this risk, even before the credit crunch occurred," the independent adviser wrote.
    An Auckland woman in her 50s, who has lost around $20,000 on the value of her investment in the Regular Income Fund, said the politest way to describe her sentiments was "very angry".
    She had come into a large amount of money and invested in the fund after seeking the help of her ANZ adviser.
    "I needed somebody that I felt I could trust and put my faith into that they were going to do the right thing by me, and I made that quite clear to him actually."
    ING confirmed all financial advisers who sold the funds were paid a 0.5 per cent annual trail commission on the lifetime of the investment, to assist with the costs of servicing the client. However ANZ said its advisers were salaried and fees or commissions went to the bank.
    ANZ said it was confident it had recommended the ING Regular Income Fund and Diversified Yield Fund to clients in the appropriate manner and for the right reasons.
    The ING funds were available to bank clients only through ANZ's qualified financial advisory team, and could not be accessed through the branches.
    "All client situations are different and we will be working with clients on an individual basis to establish the best course of action based on in their own personal circumstances," it said.
    * FROZEN FUNDS
    ING has suspended withdrawals from two funds hit by the credit crisis.
    The funds' $1 units were this week worth 81.05c and 70.5c.
    The funds invested in 'CDOs' and 'CLOs' - complex securities based on a basket of different types of debt.
    Advisers with ANZ National Bank, which half-owns ING, put a lot of investors into the products.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/...0498069&pnum=0
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