The First International Bank of Grenada will go down in history as one of the biggest banking swindles of all time. Aided and abetted by a corrupt government, Van Brink and his satraps lured hundreds of innocent investors to place their savings in a bank he claimed "had a vision." With evangelical zeal he preached the gospel of his bank, playing upon the religious and charitable aspect but also promising outlandish returns on investments.

From Oregon to Nauru, to Grenada, to Uganda, Van Brink left a trail of financial misery behind him.

One Big Fib is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the shady world of offshore banking.

The First International Bank of Grenada will go down in history as one of the biggest banking swindles of all time. Aided and abetted by a corrupt government, Van Brink and his satraps lured hundreds of innocent investors to place their savings in a bank he claimed "had a vision." With evangelical zeal he preached the gospel of his bank, playing upon the religious and charitable aspect but also promising outlandish returns on investments.

From Oregon to Nauru, to Grenada, to Uganda, Van Brink left a trail of financial misery behind him.

One Big Fib is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the shady world of offshore banking.

For centuries, money was viewed as tokens with intrinsic value, like gold or silver coins. Paper currencies were often used as substitutes, but they were only accepted on the promise they could be converted on demand into "hard money."

The era of hard money ended in the mid-20th century. Today every major industrial nation creates its own currency in the form of intrinsically worthless tokens known as fiat money. Most other forms of money are viable only to the extent they can be converted on demand into the government's fiat money.

Operating in a fractional reserve regime, banks expand the money supply by creating deposits as they issue loans to borrowers. Bank money is now the principal form of money used within the private sector.

Some economists believe fractional reserve banking creates serious problems for the economy in terms of inflation and the misuse of credit. The last essay in this book examines in some detail the basic properties of a fully-backed depository system and proposes a particular implementation.

For centuries, money was viewed as tokens with intrinsic value, like gold or silver coins. Paper currencies were often used as substitutes, but they were only accepted on the promise they could be converted on demand into "hard money."

The era of hard money ended in the mid-20th century. Today every major industrial nation creates its own currency in the form of intrinsically worthless tokens known as fiat money. Most other forms of money are viable only to the extent they can be converted on demand into the government's fiat money.

Operating in a fractional reserve regime, banks expand the money supply by creating deposits as they issue loans to borrowers. Bank money is now the principal form of money used within the private sector.

Some economists believe fractional reserve banking creates serious problems for the economy in terms of inflation and the misuse of credit. The last essay in this book examines in some detail the basic properties of a fully-backed depository system and proposes a particular implementation.

About Behind the Offshore Veil:

Offshore Banking – When initially brought up, the concept probably elicits images of the Swiss Alps or the beach in the Caribbean, yet in today’s global economy these fairytale-like images are not related to offshore banking at all. Behind the Offshore Veil reveals the long, prestigious history of private banking and its current applications. Serving as a detailed introduction into the complexities of the offshore world, Behind the Offshore Veil puts to rest the mainstream misconceptions over the legality of offshore banking.

Over the past two decades, the offshore market has experienced a significant increase in popularity as more individuals have begun to see the vast benefits associated with it. Now more than ever, the need to diversify offshore has become commonplace in furthering business interests while protecting personal wealth. The Banking Crisis of 2008 further affirms the need for business owners and professionals to exert greater control of their assets by bringing critical banking functions in house.

Written by two authors with a combined 30+ years in the international banking industry, Behind the Offshore Veil is a must read for individuals in the business, financial and entrepreneurial sectors; all who seek greater profit, privacy and diversification of their assets.

About Behind the Offshore Veil:

Offshore Banking – When initially brought up, the concept probably elicits images of the Swiss Alps or the beach in the Caribbean, yet in today’s global economy these fairytale-like images are not related to offshore banking at all. Behind the Offshore Veil reveals the long, prestigious history of private banking and its current applications. Serving as a detailed introduction into the complexities of the offshore world, Behind the Offshore Veil puts to rest the mainstream misconceptions over the legality of offshore banking.

Over the past two decades, the offshore market has experienced a significant increase in popularity as more individuals have begun to see the vast benefits associated with it. Now more than ever, the need to diversify offshore has become commonplace in furthering business interests while protecting personal wealth. The Banking Crisis of 2008 further affirms the need for business owners and professionals to exert greater control of their assets by bringing critical banking functions in house.

Written by two authors with a combined 30+ years in the international banking industry, Behind the Offshore Veil is a must read for individuals in the business, financial and entrepreneurial sectors; all who seek greater profit, privacy and diversification of their assets.

About Behind the Offshore Veil:

Offshore Banking – When initially brought up, the concept probably elicits images of the Swiss Alps or the beach in the Caribbean, yet in today’s global economy these fairytale-like images are not related to offshore banking at all. Behind the Offshore Veil reveals the long, prestigious history of private banking and its current applications. Serving as a detailed introduction into the complexities of the offshore world, Behind the Offshore Veil puts to rest the mainstream misconceptions over the legality of offshore banking.

Over the past two decades, the offshore market has experienced a significant increase in popularity as more individuals have begun to see the vast benefits associated with it. Now more than ever, the need to diversify offshore has become commonplace in furthering business interests while protecting personal wealth. The Banking Crisis of 2008 further affirms the need for business owners and professionals to exert greater control of their assets by bringing critical banking functions in house.

Written by two authors with a combined 30+ years in the international banking industry, Behind the Offshore Veil is a must read for individuals in the business, financial and entrepreneurial sectors; all who seek greater profit, privacy and diversification of their assets.

There is in the world today a quest for self-identification and an attack against the global corporation, globalization. The rationality of the attack is probed. This is done by focusing on the oldest and most powerful of the global corporations-the banks.

Canada and Canadian banks with a focus on their role in the commonwealth Caribbean were chosen because it is like looking into a mirror within a mirror: Canada is a medium power. It is a capitalist nation. It has a history of economic nationalism. Yet, many of its major enterprises-save banking, are controlled by foreign businesses. At the same time, Canada's banks are, in many ways, dominant in areas such as the Commonwealth Caribbean where nationalism, even strident nationalism, often surface. This book probes the "Canadian response".

Next to visiting a dentist, applying for a mortgage loan is perceived by most Americans to be a particularly painful experience. In The Mortgage Applicant's Bible, Eric Forster unveils the mystery and shows that once the applicant understands the process, applying for a loan should be a simple, straight-forward process. Each chapter deals with one of the facets of loan processing. How does the bank qualify you for a loan? How can you be protected from over-paying for a house? What if your credit is less than stellar? These, and other questions are answered in a non-technical way by a mortgage professional who has been in the trenches for almost two decades.

Megabank consolidations in the United States: The enigma continues, investigates merger of equals among megabanks as a business model and also postulates that higher premiums are paid for the right to integrate with the very large banks versus that paid for the right to integrate with relatively smaller banks. By introducing merger of equals and megabank premium comparatives, the author has filled a void left vacant by previous researchers investigating inorganic growth among banks in the U.S. banking industry.

Decision makers, academicians, policy makers, and students of finance will once more be looking for "what is out there" in order to guide understandings and decisions re the integration aspects among financial intermediaries. The book sought to illuminate a clarity of understanding involving the analysis and interpretation of organic versus inorganic growth among megabanks in the United States. Despite the general destruction of shareholders incremental value brought about through inorganic growth, the enigma continues in that banks proceed to integrate at an accelerating pace over the past two decades, though there was a brief lull early in this new Millennium.

Megabank consolidations in the United States: The enigma continues, investigates merger of equals among megabanks as a business model and also postulates that higher premiums are paid for the right to integrate with the very large banks versus that paid for the right to integrate with relatively smaller banks. By introducing merger of equals and megabank premium comparatives, the author has filled a void left vacant by previous researchers investigating inorganic growth among banks in the U.S. banking industry.

Decision makers, academicians, policy makers, and students of finance will once more be looking for "what is out there" in order to guide understandings and decisions re the integration aspects among financial intermediaries. The book sought to illuminate a clarity of understanding involving the analysis and interpretation of organic versus inorganic growth among megabanks in the United States. Despite the general destruction of shareholders incremental value brought about through inorganic growth, the enigma continues in that banks proceed to integrate at an accelerating pace over the past two decades, though there was a brief lull early in this new Millennium.

Megabank consolidations in the United States: The enigma continues, investigates merger of equals among megabanks as a business model and also postulates that higher premiums are paid for the right to integrate with the very large banks versus that paid for the right to integrate with relatively smaller banks. By introducing merger of equals and megabank premium comparatives, the author has filled a void left vacant by previous researchers investigating inorganic growth among banks in the U.S. banking industry.

Decision makers, academicians, policy makers, and students of finance will once more be looking for "what is out there" in order to guide understandings and decisions re the integration aspects among financial intermediaries. The book sought to illuminate a clarity of understanding involving the analysis and interpretation of organic versus inorganic growth among megabanks in the United States. Despite the general destruction of shareholders incremental value brought about through inorganic growth, the enigma continues in that banks proceed to integrate at an accelerating pace over the past two decades, though there was a brief lull early in this new Millennium.

Most loan officers want to earn more commissions. Delinquent loans provide a unique way to make a dramatic difference in your client's life and earn more.

At least 25 percent of the homeowners that I've spoken to who have lost their home in foreclosure told me, "The loan officer is taking care of it." Their home was lost because the loan officer knew how to process a regular loan, but had no idea how to navigate through the murky depths of foreclosure.

This book helps loan officers to understand the foreclosure process in detail, from the inside out. So, they can be the champions and angels for their borrowers and help them obtain the best loan for their situation.

Processing a loan for a delinquent borrower is challenging. But if done right, it can be the most rewarding loan you have ever written.

Martin Goodman, Founder
Residential Capital, L.P.

Most loan officers want to earn more commissions. Delinquent loans provide a unique way to make a dramatic difference in your client's life and earn more.

At least 25 percent of the homeowners that I've spoken to who have lost their home in foreclosure told me, "The loan officer is taking care of it." Their home was lost because the loan officer knew how to process a regular loan, but had no idea how to navigate through the murky depths of foreclosure.

This book helps loan officers to understand the foreclosure process in detail, from the inside out. So, they can be the champions and angels for their borrowers and help them obtain the best loan for their situation.

Processing a loan for a delinquent borrower is challenging. But if done right, it can be the most rewarding loan you have ever written.

Martin Goodman, Founder
Residential Capital, L.P.

I wrote this book in 11/05 and who could imagine Mortgage Fraud reaching record high levels in 2008 & 2009! My book is written like it is today, the fraud schemes have changed slightly although the motives are the same! Once a white-collar criminal gets away with fraud, the process quickly becomes addictive. Success breeds more success, and before long such crafters of fraudulent mortgage loans clearly begin feeling that not only are they above the law but in fact, they are not doing anything wrong in the first place. Fraud can happen to anyone: loan officers, processors, underwriters, buyers, sellers, investors, owners, and management of mortgage companies. It can happen anywhere: big cities, small towns, storied and well-recognized firms, smaller mom, and pop businesses who just want to do the right thing for a would be homeowner or just have the need to make money. The Treasury Department provided a plan to collaborate with private funds to buy up to $1 trillion of "toxic assets." It is very unclear if these purchases will include foreclosed properties. The unlisted and unsold foreclosed homes are likely to further delay the recovery and destabilize lenders' financials further or increase the dollars needed to include the foreclosed properties. RealtyTrac states lenders may be holding up to 700,000 residential properties that are not on listed for sale yet, foreclosure properties. This supply of homes are not counted as part of the housing inventory, with 3.8 million existing homes for sale in February which is almost a year's supply of homes for sale. The foreclosure rates have remained somewhat the same recently although it could be due to government moratoriums or voluntary lender halts on foreclosures, however, eventually a large percentage of those homes will end up being foreclosed on. With that supply of existing home for sale homes and the foreclosed properties, values are going to fall further. When the foreclosed properties enter the market, the appraisals will negatively reflect values. Some of the positive news in February was that existing-home sales rose 5.1% and housing starts were up 22.2% from record lows. One of the issues surfacing is the so called specialists who are attempting to work a modification for borrowers are growing like springtime weeds most without the experience of needed to work the new programs or even understand the mortgage industry, thus fewer mortgages are actually being modified. Then there are the many new schemes these weeds (fraudsters) have developed preying on the homeowner once again. When the economy eventually picks up, many of these issues will not be as challenging to the lenders, and this leads to the concern of mortgage fraud. Mortgage Fraud continued to climb up by 26% in 2008, another record. The Suspicious Activity Reports (SARS) climbed by 44%, mortgage fraud which is the third most reported activity to Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) , Almost 900 filing institutions submitted mortgage loan fraud SARs and according to FinCEN, fewer than 200 institutions submitted 98% (60,800) of the total. The top 10 filing institutions submitted 57% (35,400) of these filings, compared to 30% for the top 10 filing institutions of all SARs. With fewer loan originations in the last year or so, some professionals reviewing the data may believe the increases are due to this very slow economy and shows signs of more desperation, causing more people than ever before to try to commit mortgage fraud. While that may have a some merit, mortgage fraud statistics point, clearly ,point to nothing short of an epidemic for over 5 years now or longer. Yet, really, what do we know about fraud? In fact, it is not what we know about fraud that is dangerous; it is what we do not know. What is worse is the staggering amount of opportunity with which the American real estate industry provides those who commit fraud. Clearly, the amount of money to be made in real estate – both residential and commercial – lends itself to abuse. New employees mean new training, and lack of new training leads to old mistakes. The growth of fraud is insidious; it creeps up on us, taking us by surprise until, before we know it, someone we work with, someone we work for, or even those who work for us, is committing fraud. It is so easy, so slick, and until now so largely un-enforced. A number fudged there, a figure left out here, a bogus appraisal, a friend of a friend who plays it fast and loose with a client’s verification of rent, a fabricated credit report, and soon enough a mortgage loan is fraudulent. Willful blindness is a legal term that skirts the boundary between neglect and culpability, and I wouldn’t be able to talk about it if it didn’t exist. The concept of willful blindness, which at its heart expresses the contention that the industry exhibited “willful blindness” to obvious fraud through ignoring it for so long, in so many cases, at the hands of so many fraudsters. To be honest, fraud does not exist in a vacuum. It arises from opportunity, and more often than not that opportunity exists because we are too busy minding the high-rise to success that we’re working so hard to build to check on the rats steadily chewing away at our foundations. My personal experiences with mortgage fraud and the last five years attempting to prevent mortgage fraud have given me a doctoral degree from the "School of Hard Knocks". Much like you, I “never thought it could happen to me.” But it did. It can. In addition, if the statistics prove out, it probably will or has affected you… Until we stop fraud on a loan-by-loan basis, establishing significant penalties and sobering preventative measures, fraud will continue to reach epidemic proportions in our industry. We must be vigilant against fraud, recognizing its signs and taking proactive, definite, and realistic steps to not only prevent it but also punish it. Let us be honest: we cannot always prevent fraud through proactive measures. While we are busy running our companies or processing loans, fraudsters are spending all their time – and I do mean all, as in every waking second – thinking of new, inventive, and difficult to detect ways to do what they do. It is nearly impossible to keep up with such dedicated, aggressive, and workaholic criminals. If we could somehow stop all fraud tomorrow I believe that, like cockroaches, these “bad seeds” would quickly find some other way to earn their ill-gotten gains. We cannot turn a blind eye to fraud anymore. Not only does this make us an unknowing accessory but also it is the very reason fraud remains so rampant. Those who would commit fraud know that few will report it if they are discovered and, even if they do, by then they will have moved on to avoid penalty. The only way to stop such a widespread, global problem is to look ourselves squarely in the mirror and promise to fight fraud wherever, and whenever, we can, one loan at a time. Let us not just talk about this time, it is time to take action! It starts with me. It starts with you. It starts with us…