This is the part of a new series of columns called "The Naked Truth," by retirement expert Dan Solin. Please bring him your questions, in the comments box, and he will answer as many as he can.

Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin were indicted on June 18, 2008. They are accused of a litany of fraudulent activities in connection with the demise of two hedge funds they managed for Bear Stearns.

Cioffi and Tannin are entitled to the presumption of innocence. The obligatory "perp walk," staged for the benefit of the press, is offensive to traditional notions of justice. Not only does it demean and humiliate them, it taints the jury pool and intrudes upon their right to a fair trial.

Nevertheless, the indictment offers an insight into conduct that would otherwise be inexplicable.

Here are two highly educated, sophisticated, fund managers who achieved the American dream -- and then some. Why would they risk it all by, as alleged, misrepresenting the risk of these funds, and their personal stake in them?

Continue reading Naked Truth Investing: The secret hidden deep inside the indictment of the Bear Stearns hedge fund managers

Naked Truth Investing: The secret hidden deep inside the indictment of the Bear Stearns hedge fund managers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Long Island, NY's Astoria Financial Corp (NYSE: AF) has found a novel way to reduce the number of its nonperforming loans by changing its internal policy on when mortgages are classified on its books as troubled, the Wall Street Journal reported. By counting home loans as non performing when the borrower misses at least three payments, not two, Astoria reduced its non-performers to $69M from $106M in three months.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that the indictments of Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi, two former Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers, are expected to cite a personal e-mail suggesting the funds were "toast," four days before they told investors they had little to worry about. JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) has said it will cover the legal costs of the fund managers.
• Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) is set to reorganize its printer unit. The Wall Street Journal said that the unit's five business units will be cut down to three to become more efficient at adapting to a marketplace in which consumers are relying less on printing.
• According to people close to the situation, the Financial Times reported that Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc's (NYSE: BUD) board of directors is planning to meet this week to discuss the $46B bid from rival brewer InBev.

Newspaper wrap-up: When a troubled home loan is not originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that executives from Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) informed plant managers and union representatives that they intend to reduce overtime and that additional buyouts of union workers were necessary to cut costs.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges against Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin, two hedge fund managers at Bear Stearns, now part of JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), with securities fraud.
• Investors who helped U.S. financial companies raise capital are currently losing nearly $10B on paper, according to an analysis by the Financial Times.

• Fortune reported that the materials used to build Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) new 3G iPhone could cost as little as $100, while the components of the old iPhone cost $170, according to analysis by Portelligent, an Austin, Texas-based teardown specialist.
• Steve Jobs appeared to be extremely thin during the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone last Monday, causing speculation by observers. Fortune speculated that Jobs' weight loss over the years is being caused by a complex operation he underwent in 2004, in order to treat a rare type of pancreatic cancer.

Newspaper wrap-up: New iPhone materials are cheaper, firm says originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.