Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, University of Massachusetts

Somehow the short-term need to save the financial system has been turned into an accepted wisdom that bank profits need to return to their pre-crisis levels. The late August news that US bank profits had returned to their pre-crisis levels were greeted with relief. But...

In this letter to President Obama, 26 prominent economists and experts ask that the President show that he intends for the recent financial reform to have teeth by appointing Elizabeth Warren as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,...

Jane D'Arista
SAFER & Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

One of the fiercest debates during the Wall Street Reform conference negotiations has been over Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)'s amendment to improve the quality of capital used by America's banks. The amendment would accomplish this by eliminating...

By Robert Pollin, Department of Economics and Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst and member of SAFER

With the financial reform bill in the U.S. Congress now heading into its final phase of debate--the Reconciliation Committee conference that will resolve differences between the versions of...

Jane D'Arista and Gerald Epstein
SAFER and Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Senator Dodd has filed an amendment to deep six a key component of the derivatives reform legislation that would prohibit banks from owning swaps desks in their core banking operations that are protected...

Jane D'Arista
SAFER (Economists' Committee for Stable, Accountable, Fair and Efficient Financial Reform) & Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

It's no surprise that financial reform is being resisted by the financial system. Many firms - especially the largest - want things to...

In this letter to the Senate, a dozen prominent economists express their support of Section 716 of the Financial Reform Bill, which would Prohibit federal bailouts of swap & derivative dealers

Dear Senators and staff:

The undersigned members of the Economists' Committee for Stable, Accountable, Fair and Efficient Financial Reform...

Jane D'Arista and Gerald Epstein
Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst
and Coordinators of SAFER

The furor over the inclusion of Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln's amendment in the Senate bill is becoming somewhat ludicrous. Good, knowledgeable people such as FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair and...

William Black, University of Missouri, Kansas City
James Crotty, Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Jane D'Arista, SAFER & Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Gerald Epstein, Department of Economics, SAFER, & PERI, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Thomas Ferguson, Department of Political...

Jane D'Arista
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, SAFER
www.peri.umass.edu/safer

On the eve of the proposed debate on the Restoring Financial Stability Act reported by the Senate Banking Committee, the focus was on the weaknesses in the bill - in particular, that it didn't do enough to prevent...

Jane D'Arista, Gerald Epstein, and Jennifer Taub
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
SAFER
www.peri.umass.edu/safer

April 23, 2010

Wall Street has America in a vise and it is time to break free. As the Senate takes up financial reform legislation, bankers and other financiers, who were saved with trillions...

Jennifer Taub

As early as next week, we will learn whether the United States Senate has the courage to clear the financial market minefield. If so, one day, we will look back and praise these leaders for returning the economy to the type of safety and stability we experienced for...