China’s anxiety about the flow of money into its bubbling stock markets prompted the Government to punish 29 international and domestic banks this week, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, for failing to halt speculative capital inflows.

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WASHINGTON - Bank regulators issued new standards for subprime mortgage lending on Friday that includes several new consumer protections. Subprime borrowers should not be penalized for refinancing out of a mortgage before the interest rate resets to a higher level, according to a statement of principles issued by the regulators. The guidelines also call for lenders to warn borrowers when a reset is coming and grant them at least 60 days to refinance. Lenders should only offer loans to borrowers with little proof of assets and income if there is other evidence that they can repay, the statement says.

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As part of its continuing evaluation of risk, HSBC monitors activities relating to Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. HSBC’s business activities include correspondent banking services to banks located in some of these countries and private banking services for nationals of, and clients domiciled in, some of the above countries. The Group has a small representative office in Tehran, Iran.

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Although many claim HSBC already knows what their quarterly results might be, publishing the information is another story. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also looking at subprime mortgages. The worry at HSBC is HSBC Finance, formerly Household International, and HSBC USA.

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Trying to play as a British bank and appealing to people as “your local bank” HSBC wants people to forget HSBC is the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank. But when one runs afoul in China regulators do not look the other way like some do in the United States. We offer as evidence the news from Hong Kong about the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Corporation - HSBC.

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