Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

The Scarlet Absence Of A Letter Of Credit

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If there’s one thing we all know about banks and bankers: they love to tell tales in public of how much they value their customers. However, what you’ll never hear them profess in private: is how much they trust them. Although one may think that’s unseemly, believe it or not there is another entity banks hold at an even lower tier. Other banks.

One of the known facts people remember about the melt down in 2008 (as opposed to general public) was when the banks no longer trusted each other, and what they earlier claimed was “collateral” wasn’t actually worth what it was stated to be. (more…)

Will Facebook Like The New Reality?

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Within days Facebook™ will announce their earnings report. However, since their last reporting a new reality has appeared and many of its investors may require a pair of those new virtual reality headsets to parse what Facebook believes is reality: and the reality Wall Street wants. i.e., Where’s the money?

Wall Street (or the markets in general) is notorious for turning once heralded “wonder boy’s” during the IPO process – into just plain “boy’s” (more…)

Watching For The Goldman Ticket

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In a world filled with innuendo, false flags, and more one thing remains constant: What is Goldman Sachs (GS) up to and more importantly – why?

No matter what one “thinks” about this firm one thing is incontrovertible: they didn’t get where they are because they’re stupid. Far from it.

There’s probably no other company on the world stage that has had more influence in financial matters than GS. Love them or hate them, it doesn’t matter. Yet, to ignore them or to take your eyes off as to discount even their smallest moves as “irrelevant” is at one’s own peril. For GS doesn’t make any move (even taking out the trash) without first considering all the ramifications or exploitations that can come of it first. Period. (more…)

Am I Frontrunning The HFT Story?

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I was asked the above question the other day. It was asked in a tone as if I just happened to write about the topic that now has both the financial, as well as main stream media in an uproar. i.e., right place, right time coincidence. I thought it was a fair question for the person asking was really not that familiar with me and they themselves just became aware of this topic. So, I figured I’d explain why I have standing in this story as opposed to many that suddenly are writing, speaking, and more on a topic they seemed oblivious to just yesterday. (more…)