The Mortgage Meltdown of 2006-2010: A Crisis of Fraud, Plausible Deniability, and Failed Legal Oversight

By Daniel Edstrom *
September 24, 2024

The mortgage meltdown of 2006-2010 wasn’t just the result of risky loans or Wall Street’s greed. It was a perfect storm where nearly every step of the process—from mortgage origination to foreclosure—was marred by misrepresentation, fraud, and systemic negligence. Central to this crisis was the culture of plausible deniability, where every participant could claim ignorance of wrongdoing, allowing the entire system to collapse without anyone being held fully accountable. And even when the crisis hit, the legal and regulatory system showed significant leniency toward financial institutions while homeowners were left to face severe consequences.

Continue reading “The Mortgage Meltdown of 2006-2010: A Crisis of Fraud, Plausible Deniability, and Failed Legal Oversight”

SEC Staff Issues Summary Report of Commission Staff’s Examinations of Each Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization

SEC Staff Issues Summary Report of Commission Staff’s Examinations of Each Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

Here is the 2011-199 release by the SEC:

SEC Staff Issues Summary Report of Commission Staff’s Examinations of Each Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2011-199
Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2011 — The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission today issued a report summarizing the staff’s observations and concerns arising from the examinations of ten credit rating agencies registered with the SEC as Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”) and subject to Commission oversight.
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Additional Materials
2011 Summary Report of Commission Staff’s Examinations of Each Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization

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The report notes that despite changes by some of the examined credit rating agencies to improve their operations, Commission staff identified concerns at each of the NRSROs. These concerns included apparent failures in some instances to follow ratings methodologies and procedures, to make timely and accurate disclosures, to establish effective internal control structures for the rating process and to adequately manage conflicts of interest. The report notes that the staff made various recommendations to the NRSROs to address the staff’s concerns and that in some cases the NRSROs have already taken steps to address such concerns. Continue reading “SEC Staff Issues Summary Report of Commission Staff’s Examinations of Each Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization”