If they will buy, then I will sell! Or stated another way, if I can sell it then buyer beware! That seems to have been the motto for the sub prime mortgage industry. Over the past five years a looming crisis has been in the making. Mortgage brokers would originate the loan then immediately pass on the risk to the investors. Few would keep the loans for a month let alone ninety days. Consequently, they were assuming little risk and had no incentive to police the quality of the loan.
If They Will Buy, Then I Will Sell!
Some people are questioning whose responsibility it was to police the market. At some point in the cycle someone needed to say no to the level of risk being assumed. Some say we should have government oversight. I say it is the job of Mr. Market!
The only thing that keeps people from taking stupid risks is the fear of loss. Until recently we haven’t had that in the past five years. During this time period we have experienced low cost of capital, high liquidity and increasing productivity of employees. Now the market forces (i.e. losses) are policing the sub prime markets.
Other Markets in the Economy
The real question is what other markets in the economy are in line to be disciplined? The economy is beginning to look like a slow moving train wreck. This scenario is not unlike the dot com bust where few of us were directly in the business but all of us were effected. Now is the time for entrepreneurs and their CFOs to take action to weather any possible storm. Download the External Analysis to gear up your business for change.
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