Purpose – While the “Information Age” has provided the technological tools to “democratize” data and make it widely available to a vast audience of knowledge consumers, ironically it has also provided the materials for a tapestry of rules, regulations and processes that make it more...

Purpose – The desirability of financial reform to avoid another financial melt‐down is widely accepted, but the likelihood of reform is uncertain. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of evolution and reform attempts at US mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the reasons why some financial crises do not result in extensive criminal prosecutions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors examine three major events: the crash of 1929 leading to the Great Depression, the collapse of the US Savings...

Purpose – This paper aims to address the question of who gained and who lost in the financial crisis of 2008. Design/methodology/approach – Gains and losses were identified by groups ranging from bankers to homeowners to taxpayers. Findings – Gains and losses are not neatly split by a main...