The Greed That Wall Street Needs

The guest on this week's nationally syndicated Motley Fool Money radio show is banking analyst Mike Mayo, author of Exile on Wall Street: One Analyst's Fight to Save the Big Banks From Themselves. While most of the big U.S. banks passed the Federal Reserve's most recent stress tests, banks such as Citigroup, SunTrust, and MetLife did not. In this audio segment, Mayo analyzes what the stress tests mean for individual investors. Also, in the wake of Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith's public departure, Mayo discusses why "long-term greed" is good for banks and for the balance between healthy capitalism and capitalism run amok.

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At the time thisarticle was published Chris Hillowns no shares of any of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Citigroup and Wells Fargo and has created a covered strangle position in Wells Fargo. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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