SIPC's Role In Madoff-Of-All-Scams Could Save The Stock Market
Could the Bernard Madoff fraud actually help the stock market?
The SIPC came out with a statement last night indicating that they will be involved in the Madoff situation. The SIPC maintains a special reserve fund authorized by Congress to help investors at failed brokerage firms. The SIPC reserves are available to satisfy the remaining claims of each customer up to a maximum of $500,000, including a maximum of $100,000 for cash.
It seems likely that most, if not all, of the statements Bernard Madoff delivered to clients were entirely bogus. Based on the SIPC mandate, it could be in the realm of possibility that the SIPC has to buy securities to replace those that were faked on statements delivered to Madoff clients.
Based on a conversations with the SIPC general counsel Josephine Wang, if clients were presented statements and had reason to believe that the securities were in fact owned, the SIPC will be required to buy these securities in the open market to make the customer whole up to $500K each. So if Maddof client number 1234 was given a statement showing that they owned 1000 GOOG shares, even if a transaction never took place, the SIPC has to buy and replace the 1000 GOOG shares.
Imagine $50 billion in net buying to the stock market, on behalf of the SIPC, to replace client's stocks that were never bought? While this likely won't happen to this extent, it is in the realm of possibility.
Ms. Wang indicated to us that the SIPC has a budget of just $1.6 billion and a few credit lines worth $2 billion total. While SIPC is a non-profit organization, they have indicated to us that they will try to make as many people as whole as possible. They claim to be free from any conflicts of interest, even if the amount needed would eclipse their budget. When asked if the Madoff claims came in at $5 billion what would be done, Ms. Wang indicated to us that they could look to Congress for the money.
The SIPC said their involvement with the Madoff case strictly involves the broker-dealer. So, one of the main issues the SIPC trustee appointed to the Madoff case will have to address is how Madoff hedge fund clients and other investment management clients will be dealt with. Will they be protected? Also, if a hedge fund that invested in Madoff has 100 clients, will the SIPC pay out $500K just to the hedge fund or $500K to each of the 100 clients?
There are many questions that are still unanswered on the massive Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, but it would be ironic if the biggest scam in history, that has hurt so many people, turned out to be a slight positive to the market. Our prayers are with all of those who have lost money having faith in Madoff and the system that has failed us.
The SIPC came out with a statement last night indicating that they will be involved in the Madoff situation. The SIPC maintains a special reserve fund authorized by Congress to help investors at failed brokerage firms. The SIPC reserves are available to satisfy the remaining claims of each customer up to a maximum of $500,000, including a maximum of $100,000 for cash.
It seems likely that most, if not all, of the statements Bernard Madoff delivered to clients were entirely bogus. Based on the SIPC mandate, it could be in the realm of possibility that the SIPC has to buy securities to replace those that were faked on statements delivered to Madoff clients.
Based on a conversations with the SIPC general counsel Josephine Wang, if clients were presented statements and had reason to believe that the securities were in fact owned, the SIPC will be required to buy these securities in the open market to make the customer whole up to $500K each. So if Maddof client number 1234 was given a statement showing that they owned 1000 GOOG shares, even if a transaction never took place, the SIPC has to buy and replace the 1000 GOOG shares.
Imagine $50 billion in net buying to the stock market, on behalf of the SIPC, to replace client's stocks that were never bought? While this likely won't happen to this extent, it is in the realm of possibility.
Ms. Wang indicated to us that the SIPC has a budget of just $1.6 billion and a few credit lines worth $2 billion total. While SIPC is a non-profit organization, they have indicated to us that they will try to make as many people as whole as possible. They claim to be free from any conflicts of interest, even if the amount needed would eclipse their budget. When asked if the Madoff claims came in at $5 billion what would be done, Ms. Wang indicated to us that they could look to Congress for the money.
The SIPC said their involvement with the Madoff case strictly involves the broker-dealer. So, one of the main issues the SIPC trustee appointed to the Madoff case will have to address is how Madoff hedge fund clients and other investment management clients will be dealt with. Will they be protected? Also, if a hedge fund that invested in Madoff has 100 clients, will the SIPC pay out $500K just to the hedge fund or $500K to each of the 100 clients?
There are many questions that are still unanswered on the massive Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, but it would be ironic if the biggest scam in history, that has hurt so many people, turned out to be a slight positive to the market. Our prayers are with all of those who have lost money having faith in Madoff and the system that has failed us.
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