As the financial reform movement gathers steam in Washington, big banks are complaining that proposed laws will cost them billions of dollars. That's because they may have to hive off their risky derivative and swaps desks -- the very businesses blamed for exacerbating the meltdown in mortgage-backed securities.
James Early, lead advisor of Motley Fool Income Investor, says that while banks do stand to lose a boatload in annual revenues from such re-regulation, they would also benefit greatly by shedding trillions of dollars in exposure from their derivatives portfolios. Contrary to what banks might want us to believe, all this could actually make banks like Goldman Sachs
But if it turns out the new regulations require banks to serve as backstops for a derivatives market in which they can't participate, be afraid -- be very afraid. Watch the video here:
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