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By Andy Mukherjee
When Japan’s central bank pioneered quantitative easing in 2001 it was the apogee of monetary adventurism. But the bar for unusual policy is set much higher today. If the BOJ wants to stay in the game, it needs to make brazen promises with a straight face – and be believed.

Executives spared prison should at least lose jobs

By Reynolds Holding
With criminal charges unlikely, watchdogs pursue financial fraud by suing the likes of Wells Fargo. But shareholders, not officers, usually foot the bill. Strong deterrence demands honchos pay, too. Banning them from executive suites might best serve corporate governance.

Wells Fargo in mortgage mire, just like the others

By Agnes Crane
Warren Buffett’s favorite bank trades at a premium to U.S. rivals, partly thanks to a carefully cultivated “not Wall Street” image. But a new government suit against the West Coast bank is a timely reminder that Wells had no trouble cooking up its own questionable home loans.

New recall narrows Toyota's recovery window

By Wayne Arnold
It may take just 40 minutes to replace the gizmo responsible for the Japanese automaker’s latest embarrassment, but with 7.4 million cars to fix, that’s 565 years of mechanic time. With the China boycott, the tsunami, and previous recalls, Toyota’s problems seem never ending.

China’s IMF boycott undermines quest for clout

By John Foley
For China’s top bankers to bail on the Tokyo summit amid a territorial fight suggests public feeling is governing policy. But the IMF is supposed to be just about finance - and Japan has strongly backed a bigger role for Asian countries. Maybe China isn’t ready for a bigger say.

Buyout risks laid bare by old strippers

By Jeffrey Goldfarb
A $166 mln settlement resolves creditor claims that Cerberus and Sun Capital pillaged and bankrupted a retailer bought from Target in 2004. It’s a reminder of private equity’s asset-stripping reputation and shows why investors can’t afford to let their guards down.

Romney’s foreign policy doesn’t seem so austere

By Daniel Indiviglio
The Republican indicates a George W. Bush-like interventionist approach, another step away from the party’s pre-World War Two isolationism. That could lead to more Middle East conflict and defense spending, eating savings from thriftier budgets. It’s also just as risky as Obama’s stance.
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