A number of banks are looking to improve their online offerings - not just in terms of online trading abilities, but also in terms of online investor education. And I have to say that a recently launched website, by ABN Amro, is particularly interesting.

ABN Amro Eco Markets provides investors with some pretty neat info. The website also shows the growing interest in socially responsible investing - a trend we noted some months back.

An interesting story was relayed to me today. And I'd like every doubter of the derivatives-based investment markets to hear it. Structured products are not investments for the foolish, as many in the press would have us believe.

"Education, education, education." That's the mantra of all those lucky enough to be working in the US structured products market. Usually, when someone tells me they are "investing heavily in education" I nod politely. That's because I know if I ask them to back this up they usually fall silent.

Sadly I can't use the same headline as I did yesterday - although it would be just as fitting for this blog entry. University endowments in the US are big business - Harvard and Yale put some well known financial instituions to shame. And now a number of endowments are finally buying into the strcutured products markets.

The purpose of this blog is to provide thoughtful analysis. Regular readers will also be aware that we use this site as an outlet for our own opinions – opinions that may look out of place in a regular piece of journalism. For the next week, however, this site will be a true home of creativity.

The world of cut throat finance has given birth to a number of memorable characters from Patrick Bateman to Gordon Gecko. Now, a new anthology, titled Wall Street Noir, promises to bring a few more financial characters to life.

Below we start our serialisation of At The Top of His Game – one of the short stories in the anthology – which happens to be written by none other than Structured Products Association chairman Keith Styrcula (under the nom de plume Stephen Rhodes).

The anthology is edited by Peter Spiegelman - the Shamus Award-winning author of Black Maps (Knopf, 2003), Death's Little Helpers (Knopf, 2005), and Red Cat (Knopf, 2007), which feature private detective and Wall Street refugee John March. Spiegelman is a twenty-year veteran of the financial services and software industries, and has worked with banks, brokerage houses, and central banks in major markets around the world.

Details of the anthology can be found here.

And I sincerely hope your co-head, or any other colleague, isn’t quite as ruthless as Ranieri.

Enjoy…

Continuing with the serlisation of On Top of His Game by Stephen Rhodes

Ranieri steers the conversation away from my accomplishments. "Well then, I hope we can make this as pleasant as possible for everyone concerned. Given your contribution to the firm, we've moved heaven and earth to be generous." Translation: You need to sign this piece of paper promising not to sue us, or you walk away with nothing for fourteen years of service.

Continuing with the serlisation of On Top of His Game by Stephen Rhodes

Moments later, I experience an emotional cocktail of mild embarrassment and genuine euphoria when the entire deriv¬atives trading floor erupts in a standing ovation. On the Street, information is the ultimate commodity, and the news that I survived Ranieri's savage assassination attempt causes spasms of joy among the all-star team I've assembled.
“Okay, okay, all right,” I shout over the sustained applause, whistles and catcalls. “A for effort, but this show of loyalty won't necessarily have a favorable impact on year-end bonuses.”
The cheering tapers off into an admixture of laughter and mock boos. I hear a muffled thud behind me as an apoplectic Ranieri kicks his office door shut. I love these people. Love them. “All right, people, show's over. Let's pump it up and make some money for The Brothers.”

Continuing with the serlisation of On Top of His Game by Stephen Rhodes

Having escaped the offices of Fischer Brothers, I'm on the 4:36 pm Metro-North train out of Grand Central to Greenwich. I'm unaccustomed to the brightness that floods the filthy confines of the Bar Car; for over a decade, my profession has required me to keep coal miner's hours. I've rarely left the office before nightfall. Still, I'm somewhat surprised that the Bar Car is so well-populated. Must be advertising types.

The final part of the serlisation of On Top of His Game by Stephen Rhodes

Ranieri's au pair! This makes perfect sense –the trophy nanny to go with the trophy wife. It was all so Ranieri.
"And you just dropped his children off in the city."
"Right," she says.
"At Fischer Brothers. For the family vacation in Spain."
"Which got canceled, thank you very much, and screws up all our plans. Wait a minute—how did you know that?" Her voice trails off as she tries to decide whether I'm a clairvoyant or a stalker.
"So happens I work with Howard Ranieri."