Sir, Gillian Tett is distorting history by understatement ("The banks that politicians can be seen to embrace", February 18). She writes: "During the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s dozens of small banks collapsed." Dozens? Between 1982 and...

From the perspective of the corporate profit and loss statement, a trading loss is one expense item in the context of all revenues and expenses. So $2 billion should be compared to the bank's $26.7 billion in pretax profits for 2011, suggesting a reduction of something less than 10 percent in annual profit.

With the recent publication of its final rule, the federal government's Financial Stability Oversight Council is now in position to designate certain nonbank firms as "systemically important financial institutions" (SIFIs). There is probably no aspect of the Dodd-Frank Act that will have more damaging effects on competition in the U.S. financial system.

A fair settlement could facilitate the restart of lending and help accelerate the repair of the housing sector. But if President Obama successfully capitalizes on a deal, banks may be inviting four more years of his anti-Wall Street agenda.

The $2 billion loss by JPMorgan Chase has reawakened debate about whether banks are taking excessive risks, but many facts have gotten lost in the breathless media coverage.

The $2 billion loss at JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has reopened debate on the Volcker rule. The proponents of the rule have seized on the story as proof that the Volcker rule is necessary and should be quickly put into effect by regulation. In reality, however, if the facts are as thus far reported, what happened at JPMorgan is proof that the Volcker rule is unworkable and should be repealed. 

For many in the U.S., the worrisome events occurring in Europe recall the 2008 financial crisis. If Greece or some other country should fail to meet its debt obligations, the result could be much like the 2007 mortgage meltdown in the United States. Why is all this happening again?

The Group of Twenty (G-20) asked the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to devise a process for identifying Globally Systemic International Banks (G-SIB).  In July the FSB released a consultative document setting forth the methodology for identifying G-SIBs and in November produced its first list using this methodology.