Warren Buffett: A "Storm is Brewing" in the Banking Industry

 

 

Legendary investor Warren Buffett is warning about a 2.2 trillion dollar storm that is about to strike the banking industry. The consequences of which will likely be felt for years to come. As you are about to see, a problem of this magnitude didn’t form overnight. The origins of this crisis date back more than 40 years. Now, it’s finally too big to ignore. With each passing day, we are getting closer to impact. Listen to Buffett explain. To truly understand what Buffett is saying, you first need to understand the business model of a bank. At their core, banks are in the business of lending money. On the surface, it seems like a pretty simple business. Banks have money and they lend that money out to people and businesses that need it. The borrower pays the bank back the money, with interest, over time until the loan is paid off in full. The borrower is happy because they got to purchase something they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford. The bank is happy because it was able to make money on the loan in the form of interest paid by the borrower. If you have ever interacted with a bank, you probably understand this part of the banking model first hand. However, the actual loaning of the money is only part of the story. What really matters in understanding Buffett’s warning is how banks even get the money that they loan out in the first place. This is an often hidden aspect of the banking business model that has the potential to make things extremely risky. What I’m about to say may come as a surprise to some people but when banks give out a loan, they actually aren’t lending out their own money. Topics covered in the video include Warren Buffett, the banking industry, Silicone Valley Bank, regional banks, the banking crisis, real estate, commercial real estate, commercial real estate crash, the housing market, investing, Warren Buffett’s portfolio, and the stock market