Name: How to rob a bank (from the inside, that is)
Uploaded: 2014-05-12T14:58:30Z
Duration: 18 min 35 s
Description: William Black is a former bank regulator who’s seen firsthand how banking systems can be used to commit fraud — and how “liar's loans” and other tricky tactics led to the 2008 US banking crisis that threatened the international economy. In this engaging talk, Black, now an academic, reveals the best way to rob a bank — from the inside.

William Black is a former bank regulator who’s seen firsthand how banking systems can be used to commit fraud — and how “liar's loans” and other tricky tactics led to the 2008 US banking crisis that threatened the international economy. In this engaging talk, Black, now an academic, reveals the best way to rob a bank — from the inside.

How to rob a bank (from the inside, that is)

Financial crises are often sparked not by outsiders, but by insiders exploiting their own banks through a recipe of aggressive growth, bad loans, and lax oversight. The 2008 meltdown cost over 11 trillion dollars and 10 million jobs, with fraud at its core. Despite early warnings and clear evidence, regulators and prosecutors failed to act, letting destructive practices go unchecked. Lasting change requires dismantling too-big-to-fail banks, overhauling incentives, and restoring real accountability.