은행에도 계급이 있다: 대형 은행만을 위한 구제금융

부자들의 음모  - 로버트 기요사키 The Conspiracy of the Rich - Robert Kiyosaki  10.  

[ 은행에도 계급이 있다. ]

 

‘구제금융’이라는 말이 여기저기서 들리기는 해도 실제로 모든 은행이 구제금융을 받는 것은 아니다. 구제금융은 거대 은행에게만 돌아간다. 예컨대 소규모 은행이 불량대출을 지나치게 남발하여 파산했을 경우에는 연방예금보험공사에서 예금보험금을 지급한다. 예금보험금은 예금주들의 돈을 돌려주는 데 사용된다. 은행을 경영한 사람들과 은행에 투자한 사람들은 손실분에 대해 모두 책임져야 하며, 따라서 투자한 돈을 모두 잃게 된다. 정치적 영향력이 없는 작은 은행들은 대개 이런 방식으로 처리한다.

[There Are Tiers in Banking]

Though we often hear the term "bailout" tossed around, not all banks actually receive bailouts. Bailouts are reserved for the big banks. For instance, when a small bank goes under due to excessive bad loans, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) steps in to pay out the deposit insurance. This insurance covers the depositors, ensuring they get their money back. However, the individuals who managed the bank and those who invested in it are responsible for their losses and typically lose all their invested money. Small banks without political clout are usually dealt with in this manner.

 

경제공부 / 경제독서

부실한 소규모 은행을 처리하는 또 다른 방법은 매각이다. 재정난에 처한 작은 은행을 큰 은행에 넘기는 것이다. 최근 금융위기를 맞아 이러한 인수합병이 수없이 일어났다. 가장 대표적인 인수합병은 워싱턴뮤추얼을 JP모건이 인수한 것이다. 이러한 과정을 통해 대형 은행은 시장점유율을 단숨에 높인다. 연방예금보험공사는 재정난에 처한 은행을 금요일에 인수해서 월요일 아침에 거대 은행의 지점 간판을 달고 재개장할 수 있도록 도와준다.

Another way to handle failing small banks is through acquisition. A struggling small bank is often sold off to a larger bank. This kind of merger and acquisition activity spiked during the recent financial crisis. One of the most notable examples was the acquisition of Washington Mutual by JPMorgan Chase. Through these acquisitions, large banks can rapidly increase their market share. The FDIC facilitates this by taking over a troubled bank on a Friday and reopening it on Monday morning with the new owner’s signage already in place.

경제공부 / 경제독서

구제금융은 일반적으로 대형 은행과 정치적 영향력이 큰 은행가들만을 위한 제도다. 너무나 커서 망하게 놔둘 수 없는 은행들, 이들이 망하면 경제에 심각한 타격을 줄 수 있다고 판단되는 은행들에게 구제금융을 제공한다. 그래서 이런 은행들은 위험한 모험도 서슴지 않는다. 이들은 지금의 경제위기를 초래한 주범들이다. 연방예금보험공사의 전수장이었던 어빈 스프라그Irvine Spreague는 자신의 책 <구제금융Bailout>에서 이렇게 썼다. “구제금융을 받는 은행은 망하지 않는다. 예금보험에 들었든 안 들었든, 은행이 어떠한 잘못을 해도 아무도 손해보지 않는다. 경영진은 해고당하고 주가는 곤두박질쳐 주주들은 손해를 보겠지만, 그 외에 달라지는 것은 없다. 그러한 특권적 대우는 연방예금보험공사가 인증한 몇몇 은행에게만 주어진다.” 결국 구제금융은 부자들만을 위한 제도라는 뜻이다. JP모건체이스나 씨티은행과 같은 거대은행은 아무리 재정난에 처하더라도 그 손실을 납세자들이 지불한다. 예금보장한도도 무의미하다는 뜻이다. 현재 공식적인 예금보장 한도는 25만 달러이지만 유럽의 어떤 은행이 수백만 유로를 미국 은행에 예금했다면, 또는 일본의 어떤 부자가 수백만 달러를 미국 은행에 예금했다면, 그 돈은 100퍼센트 미국 정부가 보장한다. 납세자들이 모두 물어내야 한다. 보통 사람들이 거대 은행들처럼 무모하고 방만하게 사업을 한다면, 머지않아 모든 것을 잃고 말 것이다. 우리는 절대 구제금융을 받을 수 없다. 조금 과장해 말하자면, 연방예금보험공사는 거대 은행의 치부가 드러나지 않도록 가려주는 연막에 불과하다. 대형 은행이 위기에 처하면 정부는 당장 달려가 구제한다.

Bailouts are generally reserved for large banks with significant political influence. These are the banks deemed "too big to fail" because their collapse would severely impact the economy. Consequently, these banks often engage in risky ventures. They are the very entities that triggered the current economic crisis. Irvine Sprague, a former FDIC chairman, wrote in his book 'Bailout': "Banks that receive bailouts don’t fail. Regardless of whether they have deposit insurance or not, and no matter the mistakes they’ve made, no one takes a hit. The management may be replaced, and the stock price might plummet, causing losses for shareholders, but beyond that, nothing changes. Such privileged treatment is reserved for a select few banks certified by the FDIC." In essence, bailouts are a system designed for the wealthy. Mega-banks like JPMorgan Chase or Citibank, no matter how deep their financial troubles, have their losses covered by taxpayers. The notion of deposit insurance limits becomes irrelevant. Officially, the deposit insurance cap is $250,000, but if a European bank has millions of euros deposited in a U.S. bank, or if a wealthy Japanese individual has millions of dollars deposited, the U.S. government guarantees 100% of that money. Taxpayers are on the hook for it all. If ordinary people were to conduct their business as recklessly as these big banks, they would soon lose everything. We will never receive bailouts. To put it bluntly, the FDIC is merely a smoke screen that hides the dirty laundry of big banks. When a major bank is in trouble, the government rushes to its rescue.

경제공부 / 경제독서