Walking the Fiscal Cliff

January 10th, 2013 - Posted by Big Al

Usually this time of year I've got a deep tan. Not a lot of people can get comped in Vegas during the holidays; I can, but not this year. Duty called.

Roy, my assistant, had the wipers on high and the defroster on maximum. A Nor'easter was blowing and would the entire ride from my home in New Jersey to Washington, D.C. Washington's not Vegas, but there's still plenty of action. We were questioning if the government would double-down and take another spin or walk away from the table.

Got Ethics? It can pay.

September 10th, 2012 - Posted by Big Al

I spent the summer in London. Not my favorite place to be that time of year, though the Lemon Shanties make it a little more bearable.

I was helping out an old crony who was trying to get to the bottom of a major issue. You might have read about it. It's named after a large marine mammal. There've been some Congressional hearings. It's a nine figure loss for my crony— a high nine figure.

7.5% Above the Current Debt Interest Rate Buys a Lot of Books

April 16th, 2012 - Posted by Big Al

I'm going to tell you something about myself that might surprise you—I like to read. Doesn't matter to me if the book's on an eReader or a bound copy from the library, words are words. Now that I've mentioned this, it should not be a surprise that some of my favorite books are in the sub genre of financial crime!

The Capsim Challenge

March 30th, 2012 - Posted by Big Al

You know that I know the value of a buck, so I was at a loss for words when my assistant Roy asked "the Capsim Challenge, what's in it for them?"

I Was in Greece

February 24th, 2012 - Posted by Big Al

I've been in Greece. You've probably read about my success there, but you didn't see my name. Sometimes I like it that that way.

I'm not going to bore you with platitudes like "Tough Love" or "Bite the Bullet." The folks there had difficult choices. From my side of the table, the issue was clear. "Come to an agreement with us lenders or risk causing a collapse of the global economy. I don't need to tell you what that would do to olive oil exports."

So You Don't Believe in Big Al

January 16th, 2012 - Posted by Big Al

Now that the holidays have passed, I'd like to discuss something that's sticking in my craw. Seems there's a fair number of you who do not believe I exist. Like my red-suited friend, who shall remain nameless, but who tends to be discussed each year towards the end of December, I find myself the subject of much speculation and doubt.

If Only They Had Done The Ethics Plug-in

December 15th, 2011 - Posted by Big Al

You might remember reading about a brokerage company that filed for bankruptcy a few weeks ago. It was run by a dear friend of mine. Seems they had a cash shortfall of more than a billion American. My friend knows I routinely lend amounts in that range, so he gave me call. Now I like to think I'm discrete, but he and I are good friends—we both have healthy appetites for risk—so I'm sure he won't mind if I relate to you our conversations.

'Occupy' movement should show me more respect

November 11th, 2011 - Posted by Big Al

I'm a little miffed that not one of these "Occupy" movements has mentioned me. You know what I'm talking about, the tens of hundreds of protesters who have camped out near Wall Street in New York and other financial centers these past several weeks. The protesters are speaking out against what they call corporate greed, and what I call a reason to get up in the morning. Like yesterday, I lent one company, I think it was called Andrews, $280 Million at 18% interest—a legitimate transaction. You'd think the protesters would say something about me, they've got plenty to say about big banks and brokerage houses.

What's the deal with Groupon?

October 13th, 2011 - Posted by Big Al

Big Al here. I've helped a lot of struggling companies through the years. I know the signs: bloated inventory, unfunded plant purchases, products that are sold for less than the cost of production. I can smell a client a mile off. So I was very surprised to read in the papers about Groupon, the Chicago-based company that was the darling of the Internet...