Counterparty Risk Trips Up MF Global

The New York Times DealBook blog just put out a fine piece on the collapse of MF Global: A Romance with Risk That Brought on a Panic by Azam Ahmed, Ben Protess, and Susanne Craig (December 11, 2012). It’s the most comprehensive summary of the events that led to...

Misgovernance at Olympus

Michael Woodford lost his job on October 14. He had been CEO of Olympus, the Japanese maker of medical systems and cameras, only since last July; and as recently as September, the company’s Chairman had said he was “extremely pleased” with Mr. Woodford’s performance....

Risk Mismanagement Timeline

There are a number of worthwhile accounts of the firms that failed or nearly failed in the great financial market collapse of 2007-2009. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin and All the Devils Are Here by Bethany Maclean and Joseph Nocera are two strong general...

Early Warning Signs at Borders Part 2

It may be disappointing, but it can’t be surprising that Borders Group went bankrupt this week. It was clear some time ago the company was heading deep into distress. What made it so clear? The six classic early warning signs of financial distress. We covered...

Early Warning Signs at Borders Part 1

We blogged about Borders Group back on January 4. Even though the company has a new financing commitment, it continues to have problems paying suppliers. It looks like Borders is still circling the drain. Borders’ survival is questionable, but for us the more...