Cross-selling is something I have always heard talked about, but not a lot of doing. Whether it’s a plan provider or a law firm, it’s something that should be done, but isn’t....more
Big tech (including Facebook, Google [theoretically], and Twitter) is heading back to the Hill (with @jack pulling double-duty, because that’s how he rolls). Here’s what to expect today based on their prepared testimony....more
The Wells Fargo scandals continue to be one of the starkest lessons about the cost of a corrupt culture and the catastrophic effect it can have on an organization. The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and head of the...more
New Fed chair Jay Powell made his first official appearance before Congress in that capacity, relaying to the House Financial Services Committee yesterday that he viewed the country’s economic outlook as improved since...more
Wells Fargo’s ability to grow its business is on hold for a year while it designs and implements a remediation program to address deficiencies in its board governance, risk management and compliance program. ...more
In an extraordinary action, with significant ramifications for the financial industry, the Federal Reserve recently announced a series of enforcement actions against Wells Fargo....more
After almost two years, you might think that Wells Fargo, its senior management and Board of Directors would have gotten the message from its regulators to take its compliance obligations seriously, remediate and put ethics...more
Tesla’s hoping that a manufacturing plant in China—the first in the country wholly owned by a foreign manufacturing company—will translate into big sales in the Chinese market. With the Chinese government loath to give up the...more
We are fascinated by corporate scandals. Since the 1980s, the US public has enjoyed unraveling corporate scandals, and vilifying corporate leaders caught in the web of deceit and misconduct. I am sure there are historical...more
Vanguard’s not well known for making waves, but the $4.5 trillion mutual-fund manager has quietly increased its corporate engagement activity over the past year—discussing governance, pay, and other issues with nearly a...more
As the scandal grows, WF’s newish CEO, Timothy Sloan, faces the unfortunate reality of being a company man (30-years at Wells) when the foundations of that company are cracking....more
When it comes to the big (tech) 5, investors are cheering on their massive gains even as they nervously look around the corner for the dreaded market correction....more
Local-TV powerhouse Sinclair Broadcast Group isn’t all that well known outside of the Baltimore area, but it’s making a big play for the national stage as it nears a deal to buy Tribune Media—the former “Tribune empire’s...more
The new administration is working on a tax plan that would slash corporate tax rates to 15 percent and doing so with a hastiness that could jeopardize House Republicans’ ability to make the cuts permanent....more
New FCC Chair Ajit Pai is wasting little time in reversing Obama-era regulatory efforts meant to restrict media firms and telecomm companies, and he’s got his sights set on net neutrality next....more
You may not recognize the full name, John Warren Geils Jr., but you probably do recognize the name J. Geils, as in the J. Geils Band, who died this week. J. Geils was ubiquitous in the 70s and early 80s with, as noted by an...more
Today we honor folk-rocker Donovan and his signature song Sunshine Superman, which was profiled in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) column Anatomy of a Song. The song was a love paean by the singer to “Linda Lawrence, his love...more
While reading the independent directors’ report on the Wells Fargo sales incentives scandal, you will be overwhelmed by the feeling of frustration. At the same time, what is described in the report is the extent to which...more
Wells Fargo’s board not only issued a massive report on its fake account scandal yesterday. It also announced that the bank would claw back an additional $75 million from former CEO John Stumpf and former head of community...more
Today, we celebrate The Eagles most famous song, Hotel California. It all started with a Don Felder cord progression and according to the Financial Times (FT) column The Life of a Song, it had a “fusion of Hispanic melody and...more
In a scathing report, the independent directors at Wells Fargo released their findings and actions based on a comprehensive internal investigation of Wells Fargo’s sales abuses. Based on its findings, Wells Fargo’s...more
The more you learn about Wells Fargo’s culture problems, the more difficult the problems become. But you have to start somewhere, and assuming that Wells Fargo really is committed to addressing the serious problems they face,...more
Sanctions: Will the Trump Administration Stay the Course? President Trump made many statements during the campaign regarding actions he plans to take to reverse Obama administration sanctions policies. These included...more
The struggle to attract and retain businesses and the jobs they provide has increasingly led to states and cities squaring off against others, with competing tax incentive packages the very real currency of the battle....more
Today we honor one of the most iconic moments of World War II (WWII) and one of the most famous photographs of all time, that of the Marines raising the US flag on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima. Marine...more