On Thursday, March 18, I’m speaking in Amsterdam at a conference hosted by NRC Focus. The topic is “trust,” and here’s what the magazine writes:
Trust is essential for markets to function properly. In a ‘high trust society’ like the Netherlands, where people have confidence in both fellow human beings and institutions, this fact is easily overlooked. Financial institutions traditionally have been bastions of trust, both for consumers and businesses. People entrust them with their savings and confidence in them. But the recent credit crisis, mega frauds by Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford and the bankruptcy of banks like Icesave and DSB have put a serious dent in this confidence.
I plan to examine three questions. How can we regain confidence when:
- Havoc is more profitable than fixing problems?
- Employees don’t trust the companies they represent?
- Nobody has the global power to regulate financial institutions?
Send me your thoughts. I’d love to hear what you think is necessary to rebuild trust in the world of private wealth management. I’m aware that many are returning to specialized companies (such as a wealth management jacksonville fl firm) in lieu of going to the banks directly for such services, but what can be learned from these groups that can be applied to the mass market for this sector? Are there any “wealth tools” you’d like to see? Sometime during April, I’ll post my thoughts to these three questions.
The New York Times describes my novels as “money porn,” “a red-hot franchise,” and “glittery thrillers about fiscal malfeasance.” Through fiction I explore the dark side of money and the motivations of those who have it, want more, and will steamroll anybody who gets in their way.