forget lehman mini-bonds ... they are not even the dirt compared to accumlators google.com
face amount issued to retail could be as high or higher that 500 BILLION USD, working out to be 70k per capita (cannot know how much apportioned to mainland investors with a/c in hkg)
30% down, many leveraged and bought more with less, but still involving prospective personal worth to the full extent possible
the weird and structured instruments basically allowed the i-banks to hedge their own best guess wagers by conning retail and unaware clients, and robbing them of premium at the same time on 10 years duration products in enough cases
the derivatives nuclear bomb has gone off, margin clerks working over time, every one who owns enough of the stuff are simply dead man walking, waiting to be thrown out of house, be divorced, and unable to do whatever they previously could, except praying for redemption even as others prey on them
scared?
i am, and i can price them, never owned any, but the tales of woe are simply drenching
excited?
yes, but am aware that buying something that used to be 100, at 10, and watch it go to 1 would be equally killing
and we are going towards 1 |
