Page Perry

Today, Beth Healy of the Boston Globe reported that Bank of America warned the State of California about problems in the auction-rate securities markets late in 2007 while the firm was still marketing auction-rate securities to individuals and other investors without disclosing such risks. Among other things, Bank of America warned the State of California that there had been “significant dislocation” in the auction-rate securities marketplace, that demand for auction-rate securities was dropping, that many corporate clients were selling auction-rate securities, and that there was significant uncertainty in various parts of the auction-rate market. Reportedly, Bank of America also warned the State of California that it was “in a defensive position, facing capital constraints,” due, in part, to its high inventory of auction-rate securities.