Finally, a sensible look at bailouts

Political economy is one of my passions. As a radio host and syndicated columnist I get several free books a month. They are usually unsolicited and not of much interest, every once in a while I get one that is worth reading and spreading the word on. "Too Big to Save?" by Robert Pozen is just such an example. The book's subtitle is "How to Fix the US Financial System" and it offers an agenda to do that and so much more. It offers sanity in an industry that has lost its moral compass and he provides direction going forward. His book is filled with some important facts that cannot help but wake one up to the causes of our financial crisis and how to solve such problems in the future.

Pozen is a refreshing voice on the issues surrounding the bailout. Most of the analysts of the subject have pure academic backgrounds or mere activist experiences. The former cannot have any real idea how such things happen and the latter believes everything requires more government control in order to avoid some from making a profit. Pozen has serious academic credentials. He holds degrees from Harvard and Yale. Furthermore, he is on the faculty of Harvard University. What is more important is that he has an understanding of business and the financial system. According to his website, he "is Chairman of MFS Investment Management®, which manages over $200 billion in assets for over five million investors worldwide. This represents an increase of 50% from the first half of 2004 when Bob was named to his current position."

The book is filled with common sense arguments that are built on the idea of restoring the integrity of financial institutions, rather than promoting political agendas. Furthermore, it points out several important factoids that are designed to simply make you think about where we are and how we got here.

• Up until 2008, no housing slump in any country had ever caused a worldwide financial crisis.
• Until mid-2008, the Federal Housing Administration offered loans that required just a 3 percent down payment. In spite of this low sum, many nonprofits sprung up (and funded by construction developers and home builders) to cover the cost. It was a house of cards waiting to fall.
• The stock market crash became even worse after Congress authorized the Treasury to spend billions of dollars "resolving" the financial crisis. Many rightly argue that the worse is yet to come.

Pozner's solutions to the problems surrounding the financial are refreshing and filled with common sense. The crisis we have today is rooted in "geniuses" with political, social and even profit agendas rather than sound financial principles. Pozner points to the better way:

• He argues for the restoration of loan securitization as a key to economic and housing recovery. The reason housing had never been a source of major financial catastrophe in the past is the integrity in the process, like due diligence and monetary "skin in the game" that proves one to be a worthy candidate of a home loan.
• The federal government's efforts to buy "toxic assets" are not viable and poorly designed to meet goals. A great example is the use of such for loan modifications. To date, 80 percent of all homes that experienced a modification are again in foreclosure.
• The federal government has been wild and indiscriminate in it recapitalization of financial institutions. It has bailed out many large banks that did not want the assistance, over 500 small banks that are anything but "too big too fail," and many insurance and credit card companies without explanation.
• Far reaching legislative restrictions of executive compensation have clearly made the situation worse. For example, limits on "golden parachutes" have generally increased the cost of most terminated packages. Furthermore, in order to be competitive, companies forced to have strict limits on bonuses have, instead, dramatically increased base salaries. This means the executives can enjoy higher rewards with lower performance.

Pozen's excellent book goes on to evaluate the potential restructuring of the financial industry, the importance of fair value accounting, and the huge downside government actions in the financial industry has had on taxpayers. It is an excellent book and really "must reading" for anyone interested in serious answers to our current financial crisis.

Kevin Price is a nationally syndicated columnist and host of the Price of Business on CNN Radio. Learn more about him and his activities at www.PriceofBusiness.com.