85億美元都嫌少了

????2011年6月，美國銀行（Bank of America）眼看就要取得一場罕見的勝利：它計劃以大約85億美元的資金，與受托人美國紐約銀行（Bank of New York）達成和解，旨在挽回由美國銀行子公司Countrywide提供資金的不良抵押證券所造成的損失。然而到10月份，因為投資人（以及其他眾多意見團體）認為85億美元不足以解決問題，導致和解最終破裂。難道85億美元還不夠多嗎？沒錯！總的看來，85億美元對銀行業(yè)來說是一個驚人的數字，而考慮到85億美元超過了美國銀行過去四年盈利的總和，這一數字著實令人吃驚。美國銀行和CEO布萊恩?莫伊尼漢2011年流年不利，而這次和解破裂則意味著又一低谷，但至少布萊恩還是做出了取消5美元借記卡費用的決定。

$8.5 billion ain't what it used to be

????Back in June, it looked like Bank of America had a rare win on its hands: a proposed settlement with trustee Bank of New York to the tune of $8.5 billion, meant to restore the damage done by faulty mortgage-backed securities financed by BofA's Countrywide division. Come October, the settlement fell apart because investors (among many other vocal groups, too) didn't feel the figure was high enough. $8.5 billion, not enough money? Yikes. That's a scary indicator for banking in general, but also for BofA considering it is more than the institution made in the last four years combined. The collapsed deal is another low-point in a rough year for the bank and CEO Brian Moynihan. At least he axed those $5 debit card fees.