Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without the support and help of a number of people.

Paul Getman, my friend, business partner, and sounding board for a quarter-century, has been instrumental in guiding me through the tricky parts of putting this work together. He taught me the basics of banking back in the 1980s, when it wasn’t taught in graduate school. His insights have been key to guiding my thinking on the topics addressed in this book.

Andy Cassel also deserves a substantial amount of credit for his tireless efforts turning my prosaic prose into something hopefully worth reading.

I had invaluable help from Zoltan Pozsar, who culled through endless reports and documents and hunted down the most arcane of information. His enthusiasm and interest in the topic made my job much more interesting.

I would also like to thank Jim Boyd, my editor, who gave me very kind encouragement throughout the entire process. His cool demeanor was important to keeping my cool.

To my father and my brothers and sister, Richard, Karl, Peter, and Meriam: My father has been the proverbial, loving pain in the side, cajoling me to write a book; I surely wouldn’t have done it otherwise. I haven’t lived with my brothers and sisters for almost 30 years, but I think of them every day, and their influence is enduring.

Finally, I must acknowledge my dear wife and children. Their love and patience is key to anything I’m able to accomplish.