Preliminary Analytics | 11.06.09

• Better Paydays Ahead – “Many employers are planning to reinstate merit increases in 2010, but some compensation experts say base salaries are unlikely to return to pre-recession levels anytime soon, if ever.” Probably not what you had in mind. [WSJ]
• Reid $849 Billion Measure Widens Health Coverage, Cuts Deficit – “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled an $849 billion health-care plan that would create new government competition for private insurers, cover almost all Americans and raise a payroll tax on the highest earners.” [Bloomberg]
• Democratic Rep. DeFazio Calls for Geithner and Summers to Be Fired – This smells desperate. [Naked Capitalism]
• Exclusive: GM Must Pay Debt, Make Money Before IPO – ” General Motors should focus on making money and repaying U.S. Treasury loans before turning to public markets to sell the taxpayer’s stake in the automaker.” Seems like a reasonable strategy. [Reuters via NYT]
• Bill Richardson’s Awkward Link To Alleged Ponzi Schemer – Apparently Hassan Nemazee’s firm has a four year contract to manage money for the Land of Enchantment. Yeah, that is awkward. [Forbes]

• UBS not to pay fine in U.S. tax settlement: reports Chocolate solves everything. [Reuters]
• Jobless graduate sues her college Worth a shot, no? [BBC]
• Goldman Sachs’ reputation tarnished – Being referred to as a “vampire squid on the face of humanity” certainly couldn’t have helped. [FT.com]
• HSBC, Barclays profits hit by surge in bad debt [Reuters]
• Bank Spy Scandal Widens – “A detective at the center of the Deutsche Bank AG spying affair says the international banking giant’s effort to monitor its critics was more extensive than previously disclosed in that it involved a plan to target as many as 20 people, including a number of investors.” We’re thinking that a spy scandal is probably the last thing the banking industry needed. [WSJ]