Some words by @nayafia Iโm thinking about this 4th of July week.
Anyone who is an immigrant to this country knows there are few places that offer the abundance of opportunity available here despite its well discussed faults.
Grateful for all that America has offered me.
โFederal Reserve Board announces it will make available additional funding to eligible depository institutions to help assure banks have the ability to meet the needs of all their depositorsโ
https://t.co/hsZ6vrfom9
.@BillAckman is right. There are two systemic crises underway right now:
(1) Startup Extinction Event - thousands of startups and small businesses wonโt be able to make payroll and will immediately need to furlow or layoff employees if the FDIC does not release at least a substantial portion of their deposits on Monday. Payroll is Wednesday for most companies. That is D-Day. Directors in California are personally liable for unpaid wage claims so the layoffs will begin immediately if FDIC does not announce a plan to release funds.
(2) Regional Banking Crisis - the contagion will spread and there could be runs on other banks if the Fed does not provide reassurance that deposits are safe. As Larry Summers said, this is not the time for lectures on moral hazard. The stockholders and executive options of SVB are going to be wiped out โ that solves the moral hazard problem. Blaming depositors is like placing the blame for medical malpractice on patients because they didnโt do a good enough job shopping for a doctor. Depositors expect the Fed to ensure that banks are safe. Even Bill as a very sophisticated investor says he has a hard time evaluating bank balance sheets. Itโs unrealistic to expect small businesses to do that.
In summary, the Fed needs to bearhug the situation. Announce that all deposits are safe. End the crisis. It will cost very little, if anything, because SVB actually has plenty of assets to pay off depositors. The costs on the banking system and economy will be far greater if they under-react. The banking system will further consolidate in the hands of a few โtoo big to failโ banks. None of this will help the little guy.
@BobMurphyEcon Well said Dr. @BobMurphyEcon is definitely not a Free Market when only a few "accredited investors" are allowed to invest. We just bought your book Understanding Money Mechanics. Awesome work ๐๐
@BobMurphyEcon Well said. This is specially true for tech startups. Regulators prevent non-accredited people to invest with the pretext of "protecting them", while allowing them to spend their $ on casinos gambling. I guess regulators want poor people to consume, not to invest and become rich