2009年5月30日 星期六

清查銀行 “七個代表” 之 騙術



銀行職員有否告訴客戶迷你債卷實質是跟七個著名公司和諸多其它各類公司信貸挂鉤?

銀行敢不敢自己做事自己負責? 把當初賣迷債時講的話和對迷債的理解再講一次?現在銀行對於賣了幾年的產品的特征是屁也不敢放一個 ! (sorry for my language, But banks deserve it !).

銀行成了街頭的傻啞巴小販:No-Brainer 式的按發行商指示把章程給客戶了,客戶自願簽字了。之后管收錢就是了。章程內容是否充分披露了迷債的特征和風險了 & 跟客戶解釋真實特征和風險 呢,那就不管銀行的事了。

銀行有理的就出來當眾講講:迷你債卷到底是跟幾個公司信貸挂鉤?銀行給與客戶的資料裡到底提到了多少個挂鉤公司 以及 關於挂鉤公司的信息到底披露了多少?銀行自己對於迷債抵押品的性質是否了解?

七個代表”概括了 迷你債卷 和 精明債卷 和 星展零售債卷 的銷售手法之精髓。以“跟七個著名公司信貸掛鈎”代表了“跟 100-150 多個評級由AAA至CCC不等公司信貸掛夠的”的實質, 以“跟七個著名公司信貸掛鈎”代表並遮掩了沒有買入任何相關公司的實際資產,而是「對賭」信貸狀況的實質. 發行商不同, 騙術卻是類似的。

金管局之前在立法會還大言不慚地說甚麼迷債之所以出問題,在於雷曼出了問題。現在大摩 okay,可是精明債卷出了問題。關鍵問題何在呢?
金管局的精英們大概會說:關鍵還是在於雷曼。 "如果雷曼不破產...","如果...不...",..., 精明債卷的抵押品中的100多個掛鈎公司就不會有問題了。

(一)"如果。。。不。。。”:

- “如果銀行是有錯的話,如果銀行確是把產品的真實特徵和風險跟客戶講清楚了的話,銀行应该会毫不犹豫地堂堂正正地再次給大家解釋和演繹一次关于產品的真實特徵和風險的,对吧?
反正银行在2004-2008年之間已經演繹了多次,金管局都认为任何只是少數人對產品認識不足的。在银行的销售职员里,随便找个人都可以給大家解釋和演繹一次关于產品的真實特徵和風險的,对吧?”

- “如果銀行是有系統性失誤的話,那麼,銀行可以有大堆文件証明相關產品的培訓和盡職審查。對吧?”
新鴻基金融曾為許多銀行提供了關於跟迷債相關的培訓。事實上,許多銀行(如:永亨銀行等)的迷債銷售是直接跟新鴻基金融合作,而不是直接跟雷曼亞洲合作的。
證監會卻就新鴻基金融的迷債銷售提出了以下關註:
[ 1、對產品進行的盡職審查是否足夠;2、對前線人員提供的培訓是否足夠,從而確保投資者理解產品涉及的一切重大風險;3、迷債系列的風險水平;向零售銷售人員傳達迷債風險評級的信息;及採取理應採取的措施,確保銷售人員提供合理適當意見;等等


(二)[ 蔡耀君。。。金管局在已處理的投訴中,亦發現個別員工對金融產品的性質風險認知有所不足。不過,他強調,由於目前尚有很多投訴尚未完成,故難確定這普遍情況。]

- 在金管局已經處理的投訴中,“對金融產品的性質風險認知有所不足”的“個別員工”的比例范圍是多少?10% 20% ? 

- 如果在金管局已經處理的投訴中普遍“不是認識不足”的話,那麼,“不是認識不足”的銀行職員們通常有那些認識呢?又是如何跟客戶解釋關於迷債的真實特征和風險的呢?
比如跟客戶解釋:﹝“跟7個公司信貸掛鈎,要鎖定3-7年,到期後可拿回本金”,同時把Program Prospectus 和 發行章程給了客戶﹞?

是否是屬於認識充足並跟客戶解釋了迷債的真實特征和風險了呢?金管局可否回答這個簡單直接的問題呢?

- 在金管局已經處理的投訴中,可否請金管局從那眾多的“不是認識不足”的銀行職員裡提供幾個例子,隨便找出10-20個的銷售過迷債的銀行職員來跟公眾再次演示和解釋一下他們對產品的“透徹理解”。
讓公眾看看“不是認識不足”的銀行職員是如何理解和解釋迷債的真實特征和風險的?  讓公眾看看那些 “不是認識不足” 的銀行職員是如何理解並跟客戶解釋抵押品的實質和風險? (或則說,抵押品的實質和風險跟迷債的真實特徵和風險是不相關因而沒必要提及抵押品的實質和風險?請金管局向公眾下個定論。)

依我之見,這個請求應該是銀行求之不得的吧。 終於再次有機會跟公眾演示和解釋一下他們對產品的“透徹理解”了,這可是大長銀行名譽的絕好機會啊。

(三)[ 蔡耀君...透露,金管局接獲的相關投訴中,以前線銷售人員未有清楚解釋風險的類別最多,並強調前線銷售人員應當全面就迷你債券的性質風險向客戶解釋

- 金管局為甚麼不公布金管局對於產品的真實特徵和相關風險的基本定義?
- 金管局為甚麼不公布"全面就迷你債券的性質風險向客戶解釋"的基本定義?
難道說金管局跟銀行在迷債的真實特征和風險的定義上有分歧?如果是這樣的話,干脆把金管局跟銀行的定義都公布於眾。有透明度才有公平合理,黑箱調查隻能讓人覺得有偏袒一方之嫌。
當然,金管局是大權在握,銀行有是有財有勢,普通百姓覺得金管局保護銀行,金管局和銀行也無須懼怕無錢無權的普通百姓。金管局和銀行家們心想:"Who cares? What else can you do?!!"

- 除了解釋“七個代表”(即跟七個著名公司信貸挂鉤)以外,銀行職員有沒有告訴客戶:
* 迷債還跟其它諸多公司的信貸挂鉤?
* 迷債的抵押品不是投入於任何實質資產的。
* 迷債的抵押品是跟其它諸多公司的信貸挂鉤?這都是在抵押品資料之中。這諸多公司通常會是100多家,這些公司的平均評級通常是遠低於那七個代表的,可以是包括AAA-CCC不等。

- 在目前金管局已經處理的投訴中,達到以上要求的比例的職員是多少?
或者:
- 請金管局給出關於迷債的真實特征和風險的定義,並告知公眾: 在目前金管局已經處理的投訴中,達到金管局要求的比例的職員是多少?


(四)[ 蔡耀君。。。強調相關的調查同時牽涉前線員工與銀行機構內部監控工作,其中金管局在調查過程會與有關前線員工會面取證,了解他們因甚麼原因令有關交易未能夠遵守操守準則。

金管局至今為止的調查的結果是什麼?例如:
- 從銀行對其職員的培訓 以及 銀行的關於迷債的銷售指引等文件?証明銀行內部機構監控工作是適當的?可否給公眾公布一個(或數個)銀行的迷債相關的培訓�銷售指引的文件?可以略去佣金部分啊。產品都賣了幾年了,這些培訓等文件不應該是“機密”了吧?也不應該會損害公眾利益吧?
-銀行職員了解迷債的真實特征和風險,但決定隻跟客戶介紹“七個代表”?
- 銀行職員自己都根本就不知道以上特征和風險。如果是這個原因的話,金管局目前為止調查出來的原因是什麼?或則:不管銀行是如何做的,隻要銀行職員沒有理解或解釋產品的真實特征和風險,就是銷售人員的錯,一定不可能是以銀行的系統性錯誤.原因是:莫須有?

永亨銀行 Ms Carmen Ng 於2008年十月初承認 [銀行(不僅僅是她個人 )並不知道抵押品的實質,並不知道迷你債卷是無實質資產的]。 Ms Carmen Ng 在給我解釋迷債的時候,根本就沒有提過抵押品,只是解釋並跟我探討了7個公司的破產可能性,還指出系列27‘的幾個掛鈎公司是在眾多迷債系列掛鈎公司中非常高質量的選擇。因為我對於那 7個挂鉤公司 和破產事件的定義都是非常小心的。Ms Carmen Ng承認她給我的解釋是她當時對迷債的理解。
Ms Carmen Ng 沒有「透徹理解」投資產品,實際是反映了永亨銀行的系統性錯誤,而不僅僅是某個銷售人員的"違規銷售”. 永亨銀行對於迷債的和關於迷債的培訓及銷售指引等資料,都可以証明這點。


關鍵是:金管局和政府是否一直打算閉眼不看,幫助銀行蒙混過關?

(五) [ 蔡耀君:金管局倡設風險「說明書

設立風險說明書是好事。關鍵在於:何謂風險。以迷你債卷為例,
- 風險到底是跟7個著名公司挂鉤,還是跟132個各類評級公司挂鉤?
- 迷債的錢是投入於實質資產還是沒有投入於任何實質資產而隻是賣保險等,
如何清晰准確均衡無誤導地,真真實實地把真實特征和風險給客戶介紹,這才是問題的關鍵。

銀行賣了3-4年以以賣信貸破產掉期合約(即:賣保險)為抵押品的迷你債卷,卻幾年如一日地堅持向客戶介紹“七個代表”論(即跟七個著名公司信貸挂鉤),抵押品的真實特征和風險是一律不提。原因在於沒有風險「說明書」呢,還是在於不想把真正風險向客戶披露?


謊言重復一千遍還是謊言! 除非你可以把相關人員都趕盡殺絕。真理終會戰勝謊言。銀行集體欺騙普通市民,依靠權勢來遮蓋其丑行。是可忍,熟不可忍! 不管是一個月,一年,十年。生命不息,奮爭不止。

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."

2009年5月27日 星期三

(轉載) 大聯盟給警務處處長鄧竟成 的一封信



Letter to Commissioner of Police Mr. Tang King Shing

Mr. Ian Grenville Cross, SC, JP
Director of Public Prosecutions
Mr. Ian McWalters, SC
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions
Mr. Lee Ka Chiu, Director of Crime & Security, HKP
Mr. Chan Yiu Kwok, CSP (Crime Commercial Bureau), HKP
Sirs,

The most important message of this letter is to inform you that your inaction and foot-dragging tactic is being exploited by the banks to carry out a second fraud against the victim investors defrauded by them. These victims were deceived by the banks as to the true nature of the Lehman-related securities when they were induced to make the purchase and now, courtesy of your inaction, they are subject to a second round of deception regarding their legal rights. Before you resort to the cliché that the victims should seek their own legal advice, they as well as the wider public are entitled to know what the government generally, and the relevant departments inclusive of yours in particular, have done.

2. What has happened in the last several months is an artificial environment created by you and other officials, with varying degree of intent, indifference, and culpability; to enable the banks to coerce the victims to agree to the so-called settlement. We are informed by some victims that the bank staff has adopted an intimidating attitude to:
(a) induce the victims to agree to settle on terms dictated by the banks;
(b) mislead the victims into believing that the terms of settlement would be harsher with the passage of time thereby putting pressure on the victims to surrender their rights to whatever terms offered to them;
(c) deny the victims the right to be accompanied by relatives or friends in the settlement process;
(d) deny the victims the right to have a full written record of the terms and conditions of the settlement.

3. The risk that a majority, if not all, of these settlements are reached under duress is substantial and real. The HKMA and the SFC have the profiles of the victims and they know how many and who are vulnerable to duress or misrepresentation. The senior officials of these two bodies are by far the most culpable for allowing the banks this ‘window of opportunity’ to perpetrate the second fraud.

4. It is not disputed that the extent to which this second fraud is properly so characterized is dependent on whether the original complaint of fraud is well-grounded in our jurisprudence. It is therefore apposite to recount in summary form what is known and what evidence is at hand. We are only a handful of victims not having legal or financial expertise, nor do we have any privileged right of access to information not available to the public, yet we have been able to unearthed the following within months after the fraud came to light. This convinces us that you undoubtedly are in possession of sufficient evidence, and information that will lead to further evidence, that would satisfy any reasonable police officers and prosecutors that criminal prosecution against the suspects is fully justified.

5. The evidence we rely on to demand immediate intensification of investigation and prosecution is as follows:
(a) The prospectuses in pursuance of which the Lehman-related securities were sold (the ‘Lehman prospectuses’) are incapable of describing the nature of the products or explaining the risks inherent therein by a massive margin.
(b) The Lehman-related securities feature a ‘piggybacked structure’ with a façade, typically a first-to-default credit-linked note (the ‘FTD’) concealing a hidden component varyingly referred to as ‘security’ or ‘collateral’ in the Lehman prospectuses. At least in majority of cases, the ‘hidden component’ is synthetic floating rate notes that are the sine qua non of the Lehman-related securities. This hidden component will be referred to as ‘Security’ below in order to distinguish it from the ‘real collateral’ the existence of which is not disclosed in the Lehman prospectuses.
(c) Structure note resembling the FTD in every material aspect was sold by HSBC Bank in Hong Kong (the ‘HSBC notes’) during the material time when the Lehman-related securities were sold. The issuer of HSBC notes and issuer of ‘minibond’ are almost identical in the sense that the individuals sit on these two boards of directors during the material time are almost the same. If the corporate veil is lifted, both issuers are clearly controlled by the same unit or department within the HSBC group.
(d) The law firm Linklaters advised the two issuers in respect of the two different products – the relevant Lehman-related securities known as ‘minibond’ and the HSBC notes. Despite the enormous differences between the two – one a ‘piggybacked structure’ while the other is just a FTD, the two prospectuses concerned are almost identical in structure, content and layout.
(e) Structure notes resembling the ‘Security’ in every material aspect were sold by Lehman Brothers in Australia during the material time through an entity under its control – Mahogany Capital Limited. The Mahogany prospectuses provide a rough but insightful estimate of what and how extensive details about the ‘Security’ were withheld from the Lehman prospectuses.
(f) Numerous victims defrauded by this fraud have enquired the banks concerned about the training to which the relevant staff involved in the sales of the Lehman-related securities had been given. The responses received all indicate that training for the Lehman-related securities was provided by the Sun Hung Kai Financial (the ‘SHKF’). In the past two months or so, we have repeatedly invited SHKF to admit or deny whether it has anything to do with the training of staff of other distributor banks regarding the sales of the Lehman-related securities. So far, all replies from SHKF have been evasive refusing to address its role over the training issue.

6. The above points (a) to (f) are factual and they are grounded on documentary evidence and the following are reasonable inferences that we believe also to be factual:
(a) The façade and the Security are products capable of and are being sold as stand-alone products. They were sold separately by Lehman Brothers.
(b) The purpose of ‘piggybacking’ a façade on the Security is solely for deception purpose. There is no other economic or legitimate commercial purpose.
(c) SHKF as coordinating distributor either knew, or recklessly indifferent of, the true nature of the Lehman-related securities. In its training provided to the bank staff responsible for selling the securities, it put emphasis only on the façade as if it is the be all and end all of the products. This is a misrepresentation of the true nature of the Lehman-related securities, but the Lehman prospectuses are designed and organized in such a way to facilitate such misrepresentation. At any event, the Security level of synthetic derivative notes would be too complicated for the bank staff and the prospective investors.

7. The fraud is commonplace in terms of its modus operandi, namely by means of misstatement of facts. It is unusual in terms of the parties involved and their status, namely almost two dozens of banks and financial institutions ranging from global dominant players to local runners-up are implicated. The amount of money involved is also unprecedented by local history. A further dimension of complexity is that the same ‘piggybacked structured’ financial products marketed by the same modus operandi was adopted by another, or other, major financial institutions. Because the suspects are too powerful and well-connected with the political leadership, the criminal law is halted right at doorstep of the banks. The latent privileges, including potential immunity from the law, enjoyed by the banks and the well-connected (such as the Linklaters) crystallize which turns law enforcement into a consensual matter in so far as these suspects are concerned.

8. Is there any reason why the police and the DPP are indulging in this wait-and-see trick? Already in their brief should be the following ingredients sufficient for bringing the suspects to court:
(a) Indictment: fraud contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210 of the Laws of Hong Kong).
(b) Defendants: (i) HSBC Bank and its individual employees serving on the boards of directors of the issuers authorizing the issuance of the Lehman-related securities.
(ii) SHKF and the distributor banks
(iii) Lehman Brothers Asia Limited and Mr. Leon Hindle.
(c) Evidence: (i) the Lehman prospectuses; (ii) testimonies of the victim informants who have lodged complaints with the police.
(d) Points of law that may be disputed: the nature of Lehman-related securities.
The reports produced by the HKMA and SFC contain numerous misstatements of facts, especially in respect of the securities. There are also articles appear in locally based professional periodicals purported to explain the fraud in a misleading way. This is reminiscent of burning the Reichstag by Hitler in 1933. Is it not a concerted effort to whitewash the fact and paint over it with fiction?

9. In the recently adjudicated case of HKSAR v HO Ka Keung (Criminal Appeal No. 196 of 2007), the defendant, a professional insurance broker, was charged with the same offence as abovesaid. It was held that recklessness suffices to found a conviction and the personal attributes of the defendant were ‘obviously relevant’ to the question of guilt. In paragraph 51 of the judgement, the learned judge endorsed the observation of the trial judge as to the state of knowledge of the defendant. In this connection, the defendant was held at the trial that he ‘knew that commission was to be paid ... at a very attractive level and, quite clearly, he knew that the whole purpose ... was churning through insurance forms without any attempt ... to ensure that they were honest, truthful and complete’. The same description could properly be applied to the distributor banks and the HSBC Bank. The defendant in this case had been found guilty and his appeal was dismissed. If what he did is unlawful, so is the conduct of the suspects identified above.

10. According to professor Alastair Hudson of Queen Mary, University of London, actionable loss arising from the context of financial derivative products could generally be classified into two categories: ‘failure of model’ and ‘suitability failure’. HSBC Bank and Mr. Hindle knew the model is doomed to disaster for the retail investors but they decided that their personal gains override the concern that the model is fraudulent. The ‘suitability failure’ follows inevitably from it. (See ‘The Law on Financial Derivatives’ 2nd Ed., (Sweet & Maxwell, 1998)).

11. In our polity, it is the judiciary that decides whether the suspects are guilty. The refusal of the police and the DPP to prosecute this crime rigorously verges perilously on perverting the course of justice. If the refusal of the suspects to cooperate is a reason for delay, the public should be informed of this fact and decide for themselves their best course of action.

Yours faithfully
The Alliance of Lehman Brothers Victims in Hong Kong

From: http://www.lbv.org.hk/content/pages/posts/letter-to-director-of-public-prosecutions2733.php

2009年5月25日 星期一

"客戶所須簽訂的銷售文件無可挑剔" is NOT true

From News....


[.... 公民黨余若薇反映,不少個案都是客戶所須簽訂的銷售文件無可挑剔,但銀行口頭上未有解釋清楚]

The "客戶所須簽訂的銷售文件無可挑剔" is a myth that HKMA and banks try to let everyone believe. "客戶所須簽訂的銷售文件無可挑剔" is NOT true because banks omitted material information. Banks never gave clients Minibond's (Synthetic CDO) Collateral Information which is material information to the true nature & risks of Minibond. No professional intermediary could have valued the Minibond using only the information provided in Program Prospectus & Issue Prospectus & marketing material.

Banks and HKMA have been silence on the "collateral information" from day 0.

Why was Minibond Collateral information material information?

or: Why did banks consider Collateral Information as immaterial information?

1. First, let's take a look at the now well-exposed Minibond structure (e.g. Series 19-36, and earlier ones with Synthetic CDO Collateral):
(i) Minibond had CDS with 7 well-known reference entities;
and:
(ii) Minibond CDO Colalteral had CDS with over 100 reference entities (some were at sub-investment grade).
The Bank passed us the Program Prospectus & Issue Prospectus that dedicated many pages on the “credit-linked to 7 well-reference entities”, the 7 reference entities’ ratings, and the impact of any default event related to the 7 well-known reference entities.

What kind of collateral information was disclosed in the Issue Prospectus? It was described as AAA-rated CDO, or: AAA-rated Synthetic CDO to be exact.

1. Does the AAA rating suggest that the collateral would be at low default rate and thus no need for disclosure?

The Issue Prospectus provided default rate based on historic data from 1981-2004. However, such data does not provide any meaningful reference for the AAA-rated synthetic CDO collateral. Because the default rate data was based on AAA/AA/A/BBB-rated bond that is very different from Synthetic CDO (whose history is shorter than 20 years).

2. Does CDO information needs to be disclosed?

Regardless if CDO information needs to be disclosed or not, the CDO collateral selected by Minibond (arranger) was in fact Synthetic CDO, as stated in the "selection of collateral" (of Issue Prospectus). That is, the Minibond collateral is not a 'conventional' CDO (without CDS), it is a Synthetic CDO (i.e. comprised with CDS).

3. What was the most important feature of Synthetic CDO?

Synthetic CDO may not invest into any debt/loan/bond at all. Its value is decided by the credit risk of its portfolio holding. Thus, the collateral is credit-linked to portfolio of reference entities. (sounds familiar?)

3. For Minibond Series 19:
The collateral was credit-linked to 125 reference entities. The collateral would loose 100% principal on the 10th default event out of the 125 reference entities, That is, a mere 8% of default rate (out of the reference entities portfolio) would result in collateral 100% principal loss! (On the Minibond top layer, minibond could lose principal on the first default event, i.e. 1 out 7, which is over 14% default rate. Although the chance of hitting the 8% default rate seems to be higher than the 14% of default rate. That is, Minibond top layer started to crack, there is better chance to lose the collateral principal value which requires 8% of default rate of the collateral reference entities pool. ).

The CDS in the CDO collateral synthetically transferred the credit risk of 125 reference entities to Minibond holders. Therefore, the value of minibond was not only affected by the credit-event with the 7 well-known companies, but also was greatly affected by the credit events related to the 125 reference entities in the CDO collateral.

4. If the fact that Minibond was credit-linked to 7 well-known companies was important and was material information to the Minibond's true feature and risks,

we can CONCLUDE that the risks of the Minibond also greatly depended on the information regarding number / name / rating of the reference entities & reference obligations in the (synthetic) CDO collateral and the rules regarding their default event. The risk of minibond would vary greatly If collateral were credit-linked with 7 or 50 or 125 or 155 reference entities. The risk of minibond would vary greatly if collateral would lose 100% principal upon the 10th or 50th or 100th or 125th default event out of the 125 reference entities.

5. Our questions are:

why did banks consider collateral informations such as number of reference entities / their credit-rating / default impact to the collateral principal (loss) as immaterial ?

Why the above collateral information was never discussed / disclosed to clients?

and:

How many people would be interested in buying the minibond (for the same term & return rate) if they were told/given the collateral information ?

Lehman could argue that the Program Prospectus and Issue Prospectus touched every aspects (in a selective in-balanced way). However, regardless what Lehman provided or not-provided as mandatory documents (or display documents), regardless what was or was not disclosed in the Issuer Prospectus, banks are not no-brainer minibond-sellers (HKMA or banks can correct me if I were wrong about this). Banks are regulated financial intermediaries by SFC Code of Conduct which requires that "Intermediaries were still under an obligation pursuant to the Code of Conduct to explain the nature and risks of the product they were selling", and "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information".

Therefore, banks should understand the product (per Code of Conduct), after exercising reasonable due diligence. Banks should have realized that the collateral information is part of material information for clients to understand the true feature and risks of minibond. Banks should have requested such information for their clients. Banks should have provided and/or discussed with clients on the collateral information. Because we bought minibond from banks, not from Lehman.

You can suggest banks to provide evidence of institutional buyers that bought Synthetic CDO without Synthetic CDO documents. Would "AAA rating" be sufficient information for Synthetic-CDO ? Would they need to have document/information describing the number of reference entities / reference entities' rating /reference entities industry range / impact of default rate (e.g. 8% or 20% default event would lead to 100% principal loss)/etc.

My guess is that, Minibond (and DBS Constellation) were probably the only examples that banks can find.
Because banks (as selling-agent) were in fact willing to collaborate, I would suggest fraudulently, with Lehman, to hide the information and risks of synthetic CDO from the Bank's retail clients, with the objective of increasing the sale of the Minibonds. For a product like synthetic-CDO / CDS, how many people in HK really know ?

I am sure when banks selling CDS or buying CDS, they knew exactly how many reference entities are associated with the CDS or Synthetic CDO. Like group insurance for a company, it makes difference to insure a company that has 10 or 50 or 100 or 150 employee. The Insurance company needs to know the rough range of employee number.

"Mahogany Notes" is a Credit-Linked Notes sold in Australia by a Lehman entity, arranged by Lehman Asia (the same department that arranged Minibond in HK and Singapore). It was summarized in the web page below:
http://minibondvictim.blogspot.com/2009/01/austalia-mahogany-notes-prospectus.html

2009年5月22日 星期五

要求金管局公開“違規銷售”的(定義)範疇並回答以下相關問題

[2009年5月23日 新聞報道:]
金管局總裁任志剛【圖左】昨天第六次出席立法會作證,...... 任志剛表示,當局目前的監察重點仍在如何更快調查出銀行的違規銷售.]


任總多次錶示 “違規銷售需受懲罰”。 再次確認金管局對於迷債的調查著重於“違規銷售”。

何謂“違規銷售”?

銀行以黑箱作業手法調查其客戶對銀行自己的投訴。金管局的調查也是黑箱作業方式。出於對投訴人和公眾的公平合理,
我們要求金管局應該給公眾公開“違規銷售”的基本定義範疇。
公開“違規銷售”的基本定義範疇可以增加投訴人和公眾的對於金管局調查的公平合理性的信心。
黑箱作業只能增加公眾對金管局調查的公平性的疑問,有害於公眾利益。當然,黑箱調查是銀行和銀行家最為期待的。

我們同時也要求金管局並回答以下問題,(如果不能回答的話,請金管局給與其理由)。
1。 ”失實陳訴“是否屬於“違規銷售”?
2。 如果職員沒有跟客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的真實特徵及風險, 只跟客戶解釋跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎,而根本不提抵押品,是否屬於“不偏不倚地解釋產品的真實特徵及風險”? 是否屬於違背了操守准則的要求? 是否屬於“違規銷售”?
3。 如果職員沒有「透徹理解」投資產品,違背了操守准則的要求的話,是否屬於“違規銷售”?
4。 如果银行沒有跟客戶提供提供充足的迷你債卷風險的相關資料,(操守准則: "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information“),是否屬於“違規銷售” ?
5。 新鴻基金融為迷債的co-distributor, 曾為許多銀行提供了關於跟迷債相關的培訓。事實上,許多銀行(如:永亨銀行等)的迷債銷售是直接跟新鴻基金融合作,而不是直接跟雷曼亞洲合作的。 證監會就新鴻基金融的迷債銷售提出的關註
[ 一、對產品進行的盡職審查是否足夠;二、對前線人員提供的培訓是否足夠,從而確保投資者理解產品涉及的一切重大風險;三、迷債系列的風險水平;向零售銷售人員傳達迷債風險評級的信息;及採取理應採取的措施,確保銷售人員提供合理適當意見;]
- 如果銀行於以上 三個方面的某一個或都有有問題的話, 是否屬於“違規銷售”?
- 金管局對於銀行於以上 三個方面有沒有進行任何相關的調查?如果沒有的話,請告知理由。

希望金管局不要把香港打造成 “國際金融糖衣毒藥銷售中心” !

2009年5月21日 星期四

金管局浪費資源,只為保護銀行和銀行家的利益,誰人“問責”?

"AN ERROR DOES NOT BECOME A MISTAKE UNTIL YOU REFUSE TO CORRECT IT"

1。 證監會就迷你債券涉及的內部系統及監控進行調查後, 有效地發現了涉及迷你債卷銷售的基本問題。 證監會譴責了迷你債卷 co-distributor 新鴻基 SHK Securities Limited 和 凱基證券亞洲有限公司(凱基證券)。

證監會的調查方式迅速有效,不僅僅是保障了公眾利益,還有效地使用了證監會的(人力財力)資源。

2。金管局卻調查伊始就完全排除有銀行系統性錯誤的可能, 將可能出現的的錯誤定性為(個別)銷售人員的“錯誤銷售”。

雷曼破產之後,銀行職員和銀行的錶態都充分顯示了銀行並不清楚迷債的真實特徵和風險,並不清楚迷債的最“精華”部分:抵押品的性質。(當然,不排除有銀行高層是完全明白理解迷債實質但有意隱瞞,這有待於律政司/警察商業犯罪調查科的進一步調查)。

是甚麼原因促使金管局決定不首先對銀行系統做基本調查的呢? 是甚麼原因促使金管局決定採用需要大量人力耗時且低效益的方式來調查2萬多迷債投訴呢?

3。2009年1月,證監會就新鴻基金融的迷債銷售提出的關註包括:

[ 一、對產品進行的盡職審查是否足夠;二、對前線人員提供的培訓是否足夠,從而確保投資者理解產品涉及的一切重大風險;三、迷債系列的風險水平;向零售銷售人員傳達迷債風險評級的信息;及採取理應採取的措施,確保銷售人員提供合理適當意見;等等]


新鴻基金融曾為許多銀行提供了關於跟迷債相關的培訓。事實上,許多銀行(如:永亨銀行等)的迷債銷售是直接跟新鴻基金融合作,而不是直接跟雷曼亞洲合作的。

這就再次提出一個基本問題:

甚麼原因造成金管局(一再)堅持決定不做基本的調查,為甚麼金管局這麼確信銀行沒有系統性失誤呢? 竊鈎者誅,竊國者侯?


4。 金管局的調查方式是:假定銀行沒有系統性失誤(可意會不可言傳),對每一個投訴案例,按金管局預先設定的問題,逐個詢問。金管局收到超過2萬多關於迷你債卷的投訴。至今處理了400多個個案。

金管局調查人員跟我進行電話詢問的時候,連我的投訴信都沒有看過,根本都不知道我的投訴內容是甚麼,只知道是迷債。只字不問我的投訴信裡到底具體投訴了些甚麼。就根據金管局的預定問題,包括年齡,收入,是否由職員介紹買入迷債,買迷債的資金是否由定期而來,等等。卻只字不詢問買入的時候,我對於對於 迷債的理解,以及 銀行是如何解釋 迷債的真實特徵和相關風險的。

如果,根本不過問投訴人的具體投訴,只是根據金管局預定的詢問問題進行問答,那麼,會有個甚麼結果呢? 應該是根據金管局預定問題的方曏而得出的期待的結果?

儘管客戶就迷債的真實特徵和相關風險投訴被誤導。金管局的調查方式幾乎是假定了一個默認的調查邏輯:如果是投訴迷債的,那麼就是跟“錯誤銷售”有關。這也是金管局人員不主動詢問投訴人具體的是投訴和因由。這大概也是金管局人員不詢問關於迷債的真實特徵和相關風險的問題。

5。對於2萬多人的關於同一個產品(迷你債卷)的投訴,通常應該是首先清除有沒有系統性失誤。而迷債之謎的關鍵是其真實特徵和相關風險。通常的 bottom-up 邏輯應該是:

《首先》:銀行職員「透徹理解」投資產品;

《其次》 銀行職員曏客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的真實特徵及風險;

《其它》瞭解客戶。。。。。。

〈最後》銷售迷债。

銀行職員有沒有 ‘解釋產品的真實特徵及風險’ 以及職員對投資產品的「透徹理解」,應該是調查迷你債卷投訴的基本問題吧。


6。金管局選擇的調查方式是否更有效地調查和找出事件的主要原因?或則只是更有效地需求更多人力/財力和時間來完成調查? 對於2萬多投訴,這是最佳方式呢還是最低效益方式之一呢?

金管局這麼多高薪專業人才,好像非常善於選擇 "只看枝節,不看問題的基本關鍵"," 只見樹枝 ,不見森林 "(恐怕連樹都沒看見)的調查方式。其結果是勞民傷財,且效益低下。不能夠象證監會一樣地迅速查出和糾正銀行的系統性錯誤。造成金管局以浪費公款來縱容和庇護銀行的錯誤的局面,既損害公眾利益,也損害了香港政府和香港金融界的公信力。

如果將來事實證明金管局的調查邏輯和方式只是有效地將主要問題和次要枝節問題混淆,從而造成需要更長地時間和浪費公款(納稅人的錢)去調查(關於迷你債卷的)投訴。那麼,有沒有‘問責’的人?

7。不要讓“迷債之都”變成“金融中心”的代名詞

公眾利益不僅僅是銀行和銀行家的利益。銀行和金管局聯手掩蓋事實的企圖只能達到欲蓋彌張 的效果。或許可能會短期保護了銀行家的既得利益。長遠終究會進一步地損害銀行的聲譽,讓香港作為金融中心的聲譽徹底地跟“老千”掛鈎。 當然,這些恐怕是不在銀行家的考慮之中的了。諸多的銀行家們看來是非常精於“厚黑學” (李宗吾: 「厚」是厚臉皮,「黑」是黑心腸))。

2009年5月18日 星期一

血 染 的 迷 債

------------------

也許我告別 將不再 信任你,
你是否羞愧?
你是否難眠?

也許我倒下 將不再 起來 ,
你是否還要永久的欺騙 ?

你們的靈魂
已出賣給魔鬼

都是為了
銀行的收入傭金和花紅。

如果是這樣
你無法否認,

你們揮霍的傭金裡
有我們血染的迷債。


也許我的眼睛再不能睜開
你是否理解我沉默的蔑視。
也許我長眠再不能醒來
你是否相信我化作了雷霆。

你們的靈魂
已出賣給魔鬼

你們揮霍的傭金是,
欺騙市民而得到,

-----------
如果是這樣
你不要忘記,

銀行界的歷史上
會永遠記得這迷債。

如果是這樣
你不要忘記,

銀行家的傭金裡,
有我們血染的迷債

如果是這樣
你不要忘記,

銀行界的歷史上
會有我們血染的迷債。

血染的迷債

< 求助:請哪位歌手給幫忙錄唱? 謝謝.
如果您有興趣,可以聯繫: minibondvictim@gmail.com>

2009年5月12日 星期二

金管局的黑箱調查對投訴人是否公平合理?

金管局的職責 : ”保障銀行和銀行家的利益“ ???

金管局從去年雷曼破產之後,收到超過2萬多關於迷你債卷的投訴。金管局發布了一個調查報告,將調查進展結果分為以下幾個類別:
[ "初步評核" : “錶面證據不足”: “收集更多資料“: ”立案調查“: ]

1。 對於2萬多人的關於同一個產品(迷你債卷)的投訴,出於對公眾的公平合理的角度,金管局為甚麼不可以公布其處理投訴的基本原則?
這些基本原則,是否跟迷你債卷的抵押品一樣,只可隱藏不提,見不得光?
比如:
- "初步評核" : 如何劃分的? 基本標準是甚麼?
-“錶面證據不足”:如何劃分的? 主要指甚麼情形?常見的例子 (from 處理了的400多宗個案)?
-“收集更多資料“:如何劃分的? 主要指甚麼情形?常見的例子? 主要是指個人資產/包括銀行賬戶,房產?
- ”立案調查“: 如何劃分的? 基本標準是甚麼?

2。 對於金管局至今已經處理了的400多宗個案, 主要的共同點 Pattern 是甚麼呢?

3。 對於2萬多人的關於同一個產品(迷你債卷)的投訴, 通常的 bottom-up 邏輯應該是:
銀行職員「透徹理解」投資產品-》 銀行職員曏客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的真實特徵及風險=》瞭解客戶=》。。。》銷售。
銀行職員有沒有「透徹理解」投資產品,應該是調查迷你債卷投訴的基本問題吧。
- 金管局的調查逻辑和方式是什么呢?可否请详述?
- 金管局的調查邏輯和方式是否更有效地調查和找出事件的主要矛盾?Or: just to make the investigation require more people and more time?

金管局這麼多高薪專業人才,好像很善於做”揀了芝麻,丟了西瓜“,只看枝節,不看問題的基本關鍵, 只見樹枝 ,不見森林 (恐怕連樹都沒看見)。
這樣做的結果是:投訴人受氣,銀行高興。
如果將來事實證明金管局的調查邏輯和方式只是有效地將主要矛盾和次要枝節問題混淆,從而造成需要更長地時間和浪費公款(納稅人的錢)去調查(關於迷你債卷的)投訴。那麼,有沒有‘問責’的人?




4。 對於金管局至今已經處理了的400多宗個案, 有沒有調查銀行職員是否有違規“操守准則”?
畢竟,迷你債卷的關鍵問題是:客戶是在沒有瞭解到產品的真實特徵和相關風險的情況下買入標榜是“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎”的迷債的。
(一)從處理了的400多宗個案, 有多少是反映了銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的?(操守准則”的“適合性” )
- 對於那些經過調查反映了銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的個例,主要錶現在那些方面呢?
對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的銀行職員是如何跟客戶解釋迷債的真實特徵和風險的呢?
請舉出主要的例子.
- 或者:金管局沒有調查銀行職員對於迷你債卷是否有「透徹理解」?因為金管局認為銀行職員自然是於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的? 請舉出主要的例子.
- 或者:金管局沒有調查銀行職員對於迷你債卷是否有「透徹理解」?因為金管局認為投訴人只是投訴被誤導產品的真實特徵和相關風險,並沒有直接指明銀行職員對於迷你債卷沒有「透徹理解」, 所以不需要調查?銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」與否與投訴無關?
請舉出主要的例子.

(二)從處理了的400多宗個案: 有多少是反映了銀行職員 向客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的缺點及風險?
("Intermediaries were still under an obligation pursuant to the Code of Conduct to explain the nature and risks of the product they were selling", and "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information")
主要錶現在那些方面呢?

5。 金管局給諸多的投訴人致電確認信息,包括投訴人的收入狀況,財產狀況。還有要求投訴人帶著一年的銀行月結單和物業差響單去金管局面談。美其名「適合性」的調查。

例如你在街上遇到「寶藥黨」或「祈福黨」被騙了5萬塊錢去報警,警方會不會先問你有幾多財產,拿出銀行的月結單證明你確有這些錢一直在銀行裡,或者有幾多物業及收租的收入來證明這些錢確實是你的, 警方會不會先確認你的錢產物業,再去調查騙去你的錢的人?

「適合性」還包括 “認識你推介的投資產品, 如「透徹理解」投資產品的結構、運作方式,其包含的投資項目的性質及風險”是調查投訴案的基礎“ 和 ”就客戶的情况作合適的配對,並要用淺白易懂的言語向客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的缺點及風險,對長者及缺乏投資經驗的客戶,應特別審慎。“

金管局有沒有就以上調查呢? (詳述於以上#3 & #4)。

證監會就迷你債券涉及的內部系統及監控進行調查後, 還知道 譴責迷你債卷 co-distributor 新鴻基 SHK Securities Limited 和 凱基證券亞洲有限公司(凱基證券), 以保障公眾利益.
證監會還知道為小股東的公平利益而跟權勢公司PCCW打官司。
在迷你債卷事件上,金管局則為了保護銀行和銀行家的利益竭盡其權利之所能。對於投訴人竭盡使投訴人為難之招。

金管局的所謂”保障存款人投資者利益“的職責應該改為”保障銀行和銀行家的利益“!

Shame on you, HKMA ! Shame on you, HKMA Officers!
Can you sleep well, HKMA officers?
Do you wake up by nightmares?

2009年5月10日 星期日

銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」嗎?

銀行至今一直不敢光明正大地曏公眾再次解釋銀行對於迷債的真實特徵和風險的理解. 為甚麼?
為甚麼金管局不要求銀行對公眾作出解釋? 請金管局和銀行各自詳述因由。

以金管局至今所調查的400多個例,有多少是反映了銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的?對於那些反映了銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的個例,具體是錶現在那些方面呢?於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」的銀行職員是如何跟客戶解釋迷債的真實特徵和風險的呢?
請金管局詳述其理由和至今為止的個案 Pattern。

或者:金管局認為銀行職員對於迷你債卷是否有「透徹理解」是無關緊要的?

金管局在關於迷你債卷的調查中,金管局自己對於產品的真實特徵和相關風險的基本定義是甚麼?這牽扯到操守准則的關於[銀行職員對於迷你債卷有「透徹理解」]的要求和關於[ "Intermediaries were still under an obligation pursuant to the Code of Conduct to explain the nature and risks of the product they were selling", and "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information" ]的要求。

如果金管局自己不瞭解迷你債卷的真實風險和特徵,如何去判斷投訴呢?
如何去判斷銀行職員對於迷你債卷是否有「透徹理解」呢?
如何去判斷銀行職員銷售迷你債卷的時候是否盡職地跟客戶解釋產品的真實風險和特徵呢?
為甚麼金管局至今一直不跟公眾公布對於迷你債卷的真實特徵和相關風險的基本定義?請金管局詳述其理由

或者:金管局擔心披露其對迷你債卷的真實風險和特徵會對影響社會(或銀行)的利益?
金管局的黑箱作業對於銀行的利益顯然是有最大的好處的。可是,金管局有沒有考慮過金管局的黑箱作業會對社會公眾造成不公平呢?請金管局詳述其理由。

轉載 信报:金管局在迷債事件有否失職?曾廣海、尹靖廷 -2009年5月9日

立法會雷曼迷債調查小組的主要目標是調查事件有否涉及官員在監管上的失職、如何改善現行的監管制度、及如何妥善解決事件。要達到此等目標,首要任務是從法例上,釐清各監管機構在事前和事後的職責,過程是否存在失職。這才能追本溯源,有效探索如何改善現行的監管制度和尋求妥善解決辦法。
保障存款人投資者利益
在銀行經存款業務的監管方面,金管局的職責是確保銀行「以持正和審慎的方式,以及適度的專業能力經營」及「以無損或相當不可能損及存款人或潛在存款人的利益的方式經營」(《銀行業條例》)。
另外,在銀行經營證券業務方面,根據金管局與證監會所簽訂的備忘錄,金管局取代了證監會對銀行的前線監管,以及開立調查檔案這二方面的職責,並在顧及投資者對投資產品的「認知水平和專門知識所達程度後,確保他們獲得適當程度的保障」的責任(《證券及期貨條例》)。在探討金管局對事件是否存在失職時,應以此作為標準。
根據上述的二條法例和相關安排,金管局具有監管銀行不以違規或違法的手法向存戶或投資者銷售證券產品的法定責任。
此外,金管局對銀行在這方面的監管,應較證監會對證券行的監管要求為高、審查應更頻密、處分應更嚴厲,主要原因是銀行較證券行更直接地掌握了存戶可動用財富的資料,更易取得存戶的信任,而且,投資經驗不足及希望穩健、保本的投資者,大多數是將儲蓄存放於銀行,這些人對投資風險的認識一般較證券行客戶為低。
再者,銀行對這些非傳統的銀行業務是於近年才開展,故經驗不足。他們快速膨漲前線員工隊伍,對迷債這類較股票或債券掛鈎複雜得多的產品的風險,認識亦未必足夠。目前所見,迷債的分銷銀行幾乎全是中小型及中資銀行,這些銀行除了本身應負一定責任外,其實它們也是金管局監管力度不足的受害者。他們因受收取較高佣金的吸引,負責人為求增加銀行收入,將經營多年建立的客戶關係,押在這些自己也認識不深的金融工具上,最後不單賠上金錢,亦賠上客戶對銀行的多年信任和銀行本身的聲譽。
為何說金管局的監管力度不足?這可從多方面看出,首先,按任志剛向立法會的作供,金管局並未如上所述,對銀行參與這些新業務於早期便給予較高的重視,只集中力度在他們熟悉的傳统的系統性風險監管,將資源放於監察銀行20萬億計的資產負債表,對幾十億的迷債及信貸掛鈎產品一直只當小事處理,直至2008年才對這些產品的銷售作專題審查。審查了四間已發現大批違規個案,但監管當局仍未採取強力手段,制止違規活動。直至去年8、9月雷曼倒閉前,個別銀行仍誘使不少客戶購進雷曼產品。
「適合性」處理令人失望
另外,金管局對「適合性」的處理亦令人失望。證監會提交的雷曼報告書指出,政府對投資產品銷售的監管架構,是建基於「披露」和「適合性」這「兩大支柱」。證監會發放給銀行的「適合性」要求,包括三項主要方面:
(一)認識你的客戶; 如投資知識、投資期、承受風險的能力;
(二)認識你推介的投資產品, 如「透徹理解」投資產品的結構、運作方式,其包含的投資項目的性質及風險;
(三)就客戶的情况作合適的配對,並要用淺白易懂的言語向客戶不偏不倚地解釋產品的缺點及風險,對長者及缺乏投資經驗的客戶,應特別審慎。
至於懲處方面,該報告强調違反「適合性」就是違反《操守準則》,可導致被除牌(證券經營牌)、或被公開譴責及罰款

迷債是一個結構極其複雜的金融產品,涉及一些保險承擔如CDS,貨幣及利率掉期及CDO等衍生工具,而這些迷債是由一個實則是「皮包公司」的公司所發行,亦涉及一些與他相關連的跨國公司的複雜關係,相信沒有相當水平的金融、公司法及合同法的知識,難以明白其中的各項風險,更不用說用準確及易明的語言向客戶解釋,以讓他們明白內裏的風險。
真不明白,金管局為何可以讓銀行賣給非專業投資者達數年之久,而且客戶有數萬之眾,其中包括弱智、弱視及文盲人士,而在雷曼出事前,一直查不到違反「適合性」、以至足以被公開譴責的個案。*

任志剛在立法局雷曼小組作供時承認,《證券及期貨條例》較《銀行業條例》賦予金管局較多權力以執行前線監管工作,例如《證券及期貨條例》第180條對中介人的監管及調查的權力,遠較《銀行業條例》第55條的相應條款為高。
任志剛承認金管局一直未有使用《証券及期貨條例》,而只用《銀行業條例》,實在是把自己的老虎牙剝掉。沒牙老虎便只能在調查時答應銀行一些條件,以換取他們的合作,造成今天的被動局面。據上文列舉的資料及分析,金管局在雷曼事件的監管上是否失職,讀者可自行判斷,更期待金管局在下次立法會作證供時能給予進一步闡釋。
註 *參考任志剛於4月28日立法會雷曼迷債調查小組回答余若薇議員供詞

2009年5月7日 星期四

銀行是否按照“操守准則”來銷售迷你債卷的?

迷你債卷的關鍵問題是:客戶是在沒有瞭解到產品的真實特徵和相關風險的情況下買入標榜是“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎”的迷債的。
儘管銀行和金管局都一直把迷債的問題歸於雷曼的倒閉和某些銀行職員的“不良銷售”, 而絕口不提銀行在銷售迷你債卷是是否盡職的問題。

我們在此討論銀行對於其客戶應該付有甚麼樣的責任的問題, 討論銀行是否按照“操守准則”來銷售迷你債卷的。

SFC Code of Conduct requires that "Intermediaries were still under an obligation pursuant to the Code of Conduct to explain the nature and risks of the product they were selling",
and "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information".


1。 為甚麼銀行不敢光明正大地曏公眾再次解釋銀行對於迷債的的真實特徵和風險 ?
銀行至今一直聲稱銀行是給客戶解釋了產品的真實特徵和風險的。
在過去的幾年裡,銀行作為迷你債卷的銷售商,從來都是勇於跟其客戶解釋迷你債卷的真實特徵和風險的。
(事實是:銀行對於產品介紹的共同點是:只介紹迷債跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎而只字不提抵押品,從未解釋迷債不是投入到跟7個公司相關的債卷或資產之中, 從未介紹迷債還跟其它諸多公司(100多)信貸掛鈎的相關風險。這是幾年一貫的一致Pattern,金管局至今所調查的400多個例就可證明此 Pattern。或許銀行公會可以提供不同的個例?)
現在,沒有職員肯給客戶重新解釋一遍。
為甚麼銀行不可以光明正大地以系列19和27為例再次給公眾解釋一遍 ?


2。為甚麼銀行未有給客戶提供充足的迷你債卷風險的相關資料 ?
如果银行确实是理解了迷你债卷的跟100多个各类公司信贷挂钩的特征,而不仅仅只是了解到迷你债卷的高佣金。
那么, 在2004至2008的不同經濟環境下,銀行都是始終一貫地大肆介紹跟7個著名A/AA評級公司掛鈎,始終只字不提抵押品的風險,只字不提抵押品還跟其它100多 個(不是1個或 10個)公司掛鈎,而且那些公司的平均評級低於A並包括 sub-investment grade 的公司。
原因是什么?
银行确实了解 "跟100多 個公司 信贷掛鈎" 的風險 和 "跟 1個 或 10個 公司 信贷掛鈎" 的風險 是非常不同的吧?!

或許幾年以來銀行一直認為迷債的風險只是跟那7個著名公司信貸掛鈎?
或許銀行確實是認為以“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎”代錶了迷你債卷的真實風險和特徵?只要給出跟7個公司信貸掛鈎的有關的資料,就足以讓客戶瞭解到迷你債卷的真實風險和特徵?抵押品跟100多個公司信貸掛鈎的資料跟那7個著名公司的相關資料比是無關緊要的?7个著名公司的风险足以代表了跟其它100多个各类评级的公司的信贷风险?

- 迷你債卷是跟7個著名A/AA公司的信貸掛鈎.
- 迷你債卷的CDO抵押品是跟100多個公司的信貸掛鈎,其中有的公司的信貸評級是 低於”投資“(即sub-investment grade)評級. CDO抵押品中的信貸掉期破產合約將抵押品組合中的掛鈎公司的信貸風險合成地轉移到了抵押品的持有人(即:迷你債卷持有人)身上 。

銀行有甚麼理由以“7”代替這 100多個公司呢?如果是經濟好的緣故的話,就更不用擔心披露這100多個公司了吧?
銀行有甚麼理由认为这 合成CDO抵押品的信息不是 Material Information to Minibond ?
In fact, No professional intermediary could have valued the Minibond using only the information provided in Program Prospectus & Issue Prospectus & marketing material.

3。 為甚麼銀行不敢勇於承認自己是違背了 以上“操守准則”的要求的?
银行认为自己没错的主要依据是把 Program Prospectus 和发行章程给了客户。所以,银行已经尽了责任了。

发行章程的内容监管不是银行的责任。 可是,银行在给客户发行章程的时候,是否要对产品有所理解从而确定这些章程确实是给客户提供了充分的跟产品相关的资料 ?

或者说, 银行的责任是否只是不问青红皂白,不需加以理解地,作为一个 no-brainer,按发行商指令,把发行章程给了客户就算是万事大吉了? 简单总结一下,几年以来,银行只是负责把章程给了客户,不管那章程是不是提供了充分的相关风险资料。因为银行只是一个no-brainer的挣卖产品佣金的销售商?
如果是这样的话,银行应该明确地告诉所有客户:
银行对客户的一切解释是等于零,解释了等于没有解释。银行不需要理解产品的内容。银行的职责是发行商叫给什么资料就给什么资料与客户。银行对客户的责任其实是不包括有向其客户解释和提供相关风险的信息和资料的责任的。至于发行商推荐的资料是否提供了充分的相关风险资料,那就不属于银行的责任范畴了。银行是作为一个 no-brainer 的销售商,只管销售而已。

4。 為甚麼銀行不可以曏迷債持有者披露當初在決定銷售這個產品時,所接受過的相關培訓資料以及相關公司的名稱?

5。為甚麼銀行不可以曏迷債持有者披露銀行對職員進行的(有關迷債/信貸言聲產品的)培訓課程和培訓資料?
既然銀行認為自己是沒有錯,曏公眾披露這些相關資料是最好的證明。

6。 請問:銀行對於迷債的實質的理解是否跟以下新鴻基的相關人士的言論相似呢?
新鴻基金融作為主要的分銷商,據說也曾曏諸多銀行提供相關培訓。
一些“負責任”的銀行職員跟客戶解釋的也只是:迷債跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎而只字不提抵押品,也從未解釋迷債不是投入到跟7個公司相關的債卷或資產之中,這是幾年一貫的一致Pattern,跟以下新鴻基金融的說法相差無幾。或許銀行公會可以提供不同的個例?

(i) Quotes from Sun Hung Kai News Release on Minibond Series#28 (Oct.2006)
[ Mr. Francis Wong, Head of Structured Products Distribution of SHK Securities Limited, said, “Minibond Series 28 is the ideal choice for investors who desire to yield a stable income in view of the interest rate trends that may fluctuate. Being linked to a basket of shares of high-quality international financial institutions, this minibond series renders to investors potential total returns of as high as 51.50%, provided that no credit event arises during the period. Investors could secure assured positive returns in the subsequent years when the interest rates are predicted to be on the downturn”. ]
http://www.strategic.com.hk/files.news/minibond%2028%20-%20press%20release%20_eng_final.pdf

(ii) Quotes from “The Standard Finance” (13 Aug. 2007)
[ (……) (Zoe Leung, deputy head of structured products distribution at Sun Hung Kai Financial) Leung (……). "Our product is linked to high investment grade financial institutions like Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs," she (Zoe Leung) says.
The spread on bonds issued by these investment banks are seen to be volatile lately, but this has had no impact on their fundamentals, Leung points out. (…...)
"The product appeals to those who like time deposits”, Leung says. ]
http://finance.thestandard.com.hk/chi/money_news_view.asp?aid=51085

2009年5月6日 星期三

Shameless Heartless Banking Crooks?

據報道: 銀 行 公 會 雷 曼 專 責 小 組 主 席 龔 楊 恩 慈 表 示 , 繼 續 跟 雷 曼 苦 主 商 談 和 解 , 她 說 明 白 雷 曼 苦 主 投 資 失 利 的 不 安 。
身 兼 中 銀 香 港 分 銷 網 絡 總 經 理 的 龔 楊 恩 慈 又 提 到 , 處 理 客 戶 有 關 雷 曼 迷 債 的 投 訴 仍 然 是 中 銀 香 港 首 要 任 務 。

http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/news.htm?expressnews&20090506&55&579594

不禁令人想到:龔 楊 恩 慈 女士可否解釋何謂誠信?何謂銀行對於客戶的 Duty of Care?
龔 楊 恩 慈 是否為了銀行利益而將自己的靈魂出賣給魔鬼了? (假定龔 楊 恩 慈 女士是有靈魂的話)。

香港有諸多的人投資失利:買股票,買窩輪,買期指,因此而血本無歸的大有人在,為甚麼沒有人出來抗議銀行欺騙?

暫且不談:在4萬多雷曼迷你債卷的持有人中,有多少人買入迷你債卷的時候是當做投資買入的呢?
这個所謂的"投资"是以3-7年为锁定期间,(據銀行介紹)到期时拿回100%本金,一分钱也不会多。其余的就是那比libor略高1%左右的锁定的利息。提早赎回可导致本金损失。
龔 楊 恩 慈 是否可以跟公眾介紹一下,這個所謂的“投資”,在過去的幾年以來,銀行是如何跟客戶介紹解釋的?銀行應該是非常容易且樂意給公眾再次演示他們已經做了幾年的關於迷你債卷的真實特徵和風險的完美解釋的吧。

雷曼苦主買入迷你債卷之失利在於受銀行的誤導和欺騙。迷你債卷客戶是在沒有瞭解到產品的真實特徵和相關風險的情況下買入標榜是“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎”的迷債的, 卻不知:此”迷你債卷“非“債卷”,不是投入到任何跟那7家著名公司相關的資產或債卷的,此“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎”只是個烟幕彈,其實是“跟100多個各種評級公司的信貸掛鈎”。

龔 楊 恩 慈女士 如果還是有良知的話,是否敢以她父母丈夫孩子的名義起誓:銀行確實是跟客戶解釋了迷你債卷的真實特徵和相關風險,銀行確實是跟客戶解釋了迷你債卷抵押品的特徵和風險,銀行確實是跟客戶解釋了迷你債卷跟100多個公司信貸掛鈎的實質?

在過去的幾年裡,銀行作為迷你債卷的銷售商,從來都是勇於跟其客戶解釋迷你債卷的真實特徵和風險的。
事實是:銀行對於產品介紹的共同點是:只介紹迷債跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎而只字不提抵押品,從未解釋迷債不是投入到跟7個公司相關的債卷或資產之中, 從未介紹迷債還跟其它諸多公司(100多)信貸掛鈎的相關風險。這是幾年一貫的一致Pattern,金管局至今所調查的400多個例就可證明此 Pattern。或許銀行可以提供不同的個例?
現在,沒有職員肯給客戶重新解釋一遍。
為甚麼銀行不可以光明正大地以系列19和27為例 (或者其它系列)再次給公眾解釋一遍 迷債的的真實特徵和風險以及相關風險的資料?

- 迷你債卷是跟7個著名A/AA公司的信貸掛鈎.
- 迷你債卷的CDO抵押品是跟100多個公司的信貸掛鈎,其中有的公司的信貸評級是 低於”投資“(即sub-investment grade)評級. CDO抵押品中的信貸掉期破產合約將抵押品組合中的掛鈎公司的信貸風險合成地轉移到了抵押品的持有人(即:迷你債卷持有人)身上 。

銀行有甚麼理由以“7”代替這 100多個公司呢?如果是經濟好的緣故的話,就更不用擔心披露這100多個公司了吧?
銀行有甚麼理由認為這 合成CDO抵押品的信息不是 Material Information to Minibond ?


「銀行業的確犯了不少錯誤。我們必須緊記,雖然一般銀行家大多不斷努力為客戶提供優質的服務,但不可否認當中已
經有很多人令業界聲譽大受損害。

不少人以不當手法銷售不適當的產品,但薪酬條件之優厚形同失控,而不當的獎勵亦
導致人鋌而走險。當中的罪魁禍首卻往往是此制度下的最大得益者,確實引起廣泛的公憤。

這一切都顯示銀行業的文化與操守出了問題—–就是做事的人往往已經不問對錯,只著眼於有沒有違規犯法。銀行業應該重新以正確的動機,來驅動經營手法。」

「如果一間企業的文化並不鼓勵它的人員時刻講求行事端正,不論有多少監管的規則、規例,都不足以杜絕危機再現」
-- 引自 (汇丰)葛霖在2009「主席的話」

2009年5月2日 星期六

香港銀行家的告白

如果騙不了外人,就先騙了香港市民的錢。”兔子不吃窩邊草“,那是傻瓜兔子。
銀行家們是聰明人。 香港市民的錢也是錢吶。騙美國市民的錢的難度就大了,弄不好還有甚麼集體訴訟。 美國那幫貪心的律師們居然整天盯著銀行,還是香港好啊,到底是銀號金官舉+正富一家親。 銀號的利益大過天。聽聽任老先知是怎樣對銀號家們唱的:“Eveything I do, I do it for YOU”。

說實話,香港市民的錢是不騙白不騙,不騙是白痴。即使騙局一旦被戳穿,也有 正富和金官舉一起為銀號護航,不允許集體訴訟。個人敢打官司?有幾個打得起的?我們銀號可以奉陪到底。看誰錢多勢眾!所以,有這麼好的適於騙局的環境,不好好利用,我們這銀號家不就是傻瓜了麼。不可以對不起我們銀號高層的花紅啊。

公眾讀不懂銀號和金官舉監管銀號的規則的原由在於:銀號的所謂信譽和對客戶的責任,其實是跟迷你債卷的“跟7個著名公司掛鈎”的金玉其外招牌一樣,只是錶面上連篇纍牘地解釋銀號的責任和職責。銀號真正的的責任,就跟那從不披露詳情的敗絮其內的(實為“跟125個各式各樣公司的信貸掛鈎”)迷你債卷抵押品一樣,關鍵是:”傭金,花紅“。所以從不公開於眾,天機不可泄露。 公眾如果多花些時間和心思,仔細再三地解讀金官舉為銀號的辯護,並加以多次解讀和猜謎,就會理解到:

(1) 香港的銀號的第一責任是瞭解該產品的傭金結構。
(2)香港的銀號的第二責任是瞭解該產品的傭金對高層花紅的影響.
(3) 香港的銀號的第三責任是想出如何促銷的方式。比如:“跟132個各式各樣的公司信貸掛鈎,一旦125家各種評級的公司中有10家破產就本金全失”或“跟100多家包括BB或更低評級的公司信貸掛鈎” 之類的介紹,只會把喜歡穩陣的客戶們給嚇跑。所以,只要講:“跟7個著名公司信貸掛鈎“之金招牌就行了。
(4) 香港的銀號的第四責任是對高層花紅負責。跟客戶負責是指保證客戶買了產品並簽了字。 甚麼”Duty Of Care“,其實是指對銀行高層花紅的”Duty Of Care“, 不是對客戶的“Duty Of Care“。市民們對此“Duty Of Care“有誤解, 這不是負責任的市民的錶現。
(5) 香港的銀號的第五責任是:請看第一責任。

所以,銀號的信譽麼,其實是跟”老千“掛鈎的, 銀號是可以而且應該“見利忘義”,丟掉一切誠信良心。甚麼“社會公益”,“社會責任”等,那都是錶面文章,就跟那“跟7個著名公司掛鈎”的招牌是一樣的, 是騙人的

2009年5月1日 星期五

True Features and Associated Risks of Minibond

Wing Hang Bank (永亨) had been selling Minibond over a few years. Most minibond series were rated as "Medium Risk Investments". Minibond was promoted and explained to clients as "Credit-Linked to 7 well-known companies" as the key features and risks. The fact that the CDO Colalteral was credit-linked to over 100 companies had never been discussed to clients.

1. Downplayed Risk Rating ?

The Minibond’s only asset was collateral and Swaps. The CDO collateral in fact was comprised of CDS referencing to credit risk of over 100 entities and could be credit-linked to entities at sub-investment grade. The CDS in the CDO collateral synthetically transferred the credit risk of over 100 reference entities to Minibond holders. Therefore, the value of minibond was not only affected by the credit-event with the 7 well-known companies, but also was greatly affected by the credit events related to the 100+ reference entities in the (synthetic) CDO collateral.

Did the "Medium Risk Investments" rating significantly downplay the true risk of minibond ?

Maybe, the “Medium Risk” rating on the Minibond is a strong evidence to suggest that the BBanKK either intentionally downplayed the true risk of the minibond, or the BBanKK proceeded with the Minibond sale without thorough understanding of the true risks related to the Minibond, all for the purpose of maximizing the sale of the Minibond ?


2. Omission of Material Information ?

the BBanKK passed Program Prospectus & Issue Prospectus to their clients. The prospectus dedicated many pages on the “credit-linked to 7 well-reference entities”, the 7 reference entities’ ratings, and the impact of any default event related to the 7 well-known reference entities.

The CDO collateral of Series 27 in fact had 155 CDS with 25 entities at sub-investment grade. The CDS in the minibond’s CDO collateral synthetically transferred the credit risk of the reference portfolio to Minibond holders. The risks of the Minibond greatly depended on the information regarding number / name / rating of the reference entities & reference obligations in the (synthetic) CDO collateral and the rules regarding their default event. No professional intermediary could have valued the Minibond using only the information provided in Program Prospectus & Issue Prospectus & marketing material.

SFC Code of Conduct requires that "Intermediaries were still under an obligation pursuant to the Code of Conduct to explain the nature and risks of the product they were selling", and "make adequate disclosure of relevant material information".

Let's take a look at now disclosed Minibond structure:
(i) Minibond had CDS with 7 well-known reference entities;
and:
(ii) Minibond CDO Colalteral had CDS with over 100 reference entities (some were at sub-investment grade).

What ware the reasons for the BBanKK to decide that only informaiton of (i) was material information and information of (ii) was not relevant material information to clients ?
What were the reasons for the BBanKK to decide that information of (i) reprensented the true features and associated risks of minibond?
What were the reasons for the BBanKK to decide not mentioning a word on information of(ii), and disclose all the information of (i) only?

The interest rate of Minibond (on average) was about 1% - 1.5% higher than the libor rate at the purchase time, for the long 4-7 year lock up period (due to no liquidity). Imagine what kind of people would be attracted to a long 4-7 year lock up period with such a return.

7 versus 100+ (or 7 versus 155), CDO Collateral information and the 100+ reference entities' information should be the more relevant material information to the true risk of the Minibond than the 7 well-known companies' information.
- was there any staff from the BBanKK ever discuss with their clients about the CDO collateral?
- was there any staff from the BBanKK offer their clients any collateral information (document) ?



3. Explanations givens by the BBanKK's staff
Some BBanKK staff explained the product feature and associated risk as following:
- Credit Event of the 7 reference entities;
- No liquidity and had to hold till maturity;
- Get 100% principal back on maturity if no credit event happens.

BBanKK staff seemed to only aware of the information about “credit-linked to 7 reference entities”, because they never discussed with their clients about the reference entities in the CDO collateral.

4. Misprepresenation of the True Nature of the Minibond ?

The Minibond was presented and explained as "Credit Linked to 7 Reference Entities”. The CDS in the minibond’s CDO collateral synthetically transferred the credit risk of the reference portfolio to Minibond holders. The Minibond was in fact credit-linked to “7+over100” reference entities.

Is it possible that the BBanKK negligently, or worse, intentionally, misrepresented the true nature and characteristics of the Minibond, omitted the material risk associated with the minibond either because the BBanKK did not understand the true nature and risk of the Minibond or because the BBanKK worried that truthful and transparent information would hurt the Minibond sale.

Further, clients were never told exactly how the proceeds of the Minibond sale would be used and were not told that such proceeds were in fact not invested into any real debt/loans of the reference companies.

5. Inadequate and Faulty Due Diligence ?
the BBanKK's due diligence was inadequate and faulty, on the contrary of their own claim “product due diligence was properly conducted by our Bank” (Dec2008). Evidence is as follows:
a) the BBanKK rated the Minibond as Medium Risk Investment, considerably downplaying the product's true risk level.
b) It was never mentioned to clients that the Minibond was not invested into any debt / loans / bonds issued by any of the 7 reference entities. It was never explained to clients that the Minibond CDO collateral was referencing to the credit risk of many (over 100) entities.
c) It was never mentioned to clints that a "AAA-rated CDO" may not invest into any debt/loan/bond at all, and that "AAA-rated CDO" was not the same as a "AAA-rated" bond.
d) It was never explained to clients about the risk related to CDO or Synthetic CDO.
e) And clients was never told to be aware that the Minibond was, in fact, not only credit-linked to the 7 reference entities, but also credit-linked to over 100 entities in the CDO collateral portfolio.

Could it be that, instead of exercising reasonable due diligence, the BBanKK in fact collaborated (possible fraudulently), with the Minibond issuer, hiding the risk of the synthetic CDO from their retail clients, with the objective of increasing the sale of the Minibonds.


6. "香港銀行業向來依據最高的專業守則經營".
Can we ask Wing Hang Bank to give us a brief description about the key feature and associate risks of the Minibond? Wing Hang Bank's staffs were not shy of explaning the features and associated of risks in the past few years' minibond sales period.

All the relevant training procedure and sales guidence would show public that the Wing Hang Bank in deed 依據專業守則經營.


"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."