French Caldwell

Two weeks ago I wrote about Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s proposals for a systemic risk authority.  Now U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner is presenting proposals to Congress for that authority.  Under the proposed new U.S. regulations and with increased risk oversight on large financial institutions, CIOs in large companies could face even tighter budgets.

Perhaps I’m overly pessimistic but I can just see a government risk manager overseeing decisions at large financial institutions — including decisions on lending.  Large companies count on these large institutions to put together financing packages.  Government oversight of large financing packages is not hard to imagine.  Credit decisions would become ever more conservative, and CIOs in large companies could find that their budgets are even more squeezed than now.