A Simpleton’s Guide to the Street’s Wicked Ways
Nonfiction / Finance / Social Science
Date Published: January 4, 2022
Publisher:
Lulu.com
Our monetary system is insane! That’s the premise of Repo Madness, a
book not meant for scholars, analysts but for you, the person who has been
kept in the dark about the shadow banking system. Understandable and
informative, this book is also irreverent, never missing an opportunity to
underscore the absurdity of it all. You will learn how shadow banking
evolved into what it is today, an out-of-control massive system that sucks
the lifeblood out of our economy. You will bear witness to participants who
in rare moments of candor admit the system is broken and comes at great
cost. Years of research have resulted in the most compelling evidence you
will find anywhere that the shadow banking system does not benefit society.
Solutions of comparable size and scope are out there! Remedies that empower
all of us in determining our financial lives and in turn, serve the greater
good.
EXCERPT
Part I of the book addresses repurchase agreements, the larger of the two markets. In addition, it takes a trip down memory lane by examining two incidents in the 1980s that informed its creation. Next up is collateral. Every one of these deals has collateral. The role it plays is too big to ignore and finally the section concludes with a look at securities lending and a paper by the New York Fed.
In Part II the book pivots. Instead of mechanics, this section provides first-hand accounts by prominent economists and others that give the lie once and for all that there is any social benefit from this economic system. Furthermore, it lays bare the arrogance and myopic vision displayed by those placed in positions of power leading up to the crisis. Trust me, it is worth slogging through the first half to get to the second.
The final chapter of the book explores the idea of creating an entirely new system of banking that benefits us all, as it is put forth by author Ellen Brown. It is just the tip of the iceberg but will give you a place to go to further your education, awareness and with luck, activism.
About the Author
M.E. Tuthill was born and raised outside of Boston, Massachusetts. A
graduate of Boston College with a BA in American History she went on to earn
two master’s degrees, an MA from the University of Maryland in American
Studies and an MS from Syracuse University in Communications. A
self-described “perpetual student,” she worked for ten years as
a radio news anchor and reporter. Family obligations precluded her moving to
advance her career. It was time for a change.
For the next 13 years she would work as a financial advisor also penning a
financial planning column for the local paper. Eventually the rough and
tumble of the securities business took its toll and she embarked on a third
career as a full-time financial writer. Her employer was iMoneyNet, the
go-to place for money-market mutual fund data. Over 11 years she wrote
hundreds of stories for the firm’s flagship publication, “Money
Fund Report.” She also wrote for other publications, all related to
money market funds.
Hired in 2006, initially the work was uninspiring. What can you say about
money-market mutual funds? Then came the financial crisis and everything
changed. What had been a job writing about sleepy money-market funds turned
into a journey deep into the recesses of shadow banking. For money-market
funds played an integral role in the financial meltdown that dwarfed all
others.
Tuthill was hooked. She wanted to learn everything about shadow banking and
as the days, weeks, months, and years passed, amassed hundreds of articles,
scholarly papers, marketing material from the banks and government reports.
Laid off in 2017, Tuthill found herself with boxes and boxes of material.
Her first task was to organize it by subject. Then, she continued to pursue
her research. The result is “Repo-Madness: A Simpleton’s Guide
to the Street’s Wicked Ways.”
In addition to her writing experience, Tuthill is also a poet. Authoring a
book titled, “The Linen Man & Other Poems.”
Recently, Tuthill left her home state of Massachusetts, moving over the
border, she now resides in South Windsor, Connecticut.
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