In September 2005 S&P (Standard & Poor’s) issued “Who will be left holding the bag?” in what would turn out to be a prescient report about the housing market and mortgage backed securities. Around the same time certain investment banks created a new mortgage related security called a CDO (collateralized debt obligation, some were cash […]
Philanthropist and socialite Brooke Astor, 105, passed away in 2007. Her now 89 year old son (but not Vincent Astor’s son) Anthony Marshall , the court found used undue influence to gain access to and loot her $200 million estate. Underscoring the importance of independent, third party verification of trust assets, withdrawals and transactions especially […]