Kenneth D. Lewis

(Newser) - The financial world has been rocked to its foundations in a few short days, with a handful of men making momentous decisions. The Wall Street Journal outlines the key players.

• Henry Paulson. No Treasury chief has wielded such power. He decides whether big firms live or die via federal bailouts.

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(Newser) - For Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis, buying beleaguered mortgage lender Countrywide Financial fits into his retail strategy to offer customers full-service banking and, in the process, sell additional services, reports the New York Times. But, whether BofA can cross-sell Countrywide’s customers aggressively enough to offset potential losses from...

(Newser) - After last week’s dismal report card for its investment arm, Bank of America replaced that unit’s president and announced a slate of reforms to recharge the business. Gene Taylor abruptly retired and will be replaced by Brian Moynihan, the bank’s president of Global Wealth and Investment Management,...