Rumour has it that Dick Fuld is contemplating taking Lehman private. Its shares were down 37% last week (New York Post).

CreditSights analyst David Trone says this is the way forward (International Herald Tribune).

Until then, Fuld has called upon the ex-head of investor relations to work a little share price magic (Wall Street Journal).

Pandit repeating Prince’s ‘dull platitudes’ at Citigroup (New York Times).

Fannie and Freddie’s medicine only a temporary palliative: we’re still doomed (Financial Times).

The steepest ever decline in bank stocks on record (Bloomberg).

Freddie and Fannie will need to be nationalised soon anyway (The Institutional Risk Analyst).

Traders bet the US government will default (Wall Street Journal).

90% of bad subprime assets already written off: only prime and Alt A to go (Clusterstock).

Mervyn King denies self pay rise for the good of the country (The Times).

Cost cutting coming at Alliance & Leicester: Santander plans £180m annual cost saving (Evening Standard).

£12bn of deals in the offing (Evening Standard).

As Google’s stock falls, its staff aren’t so keen on sticking around (Infectious Greed).

Don’t park your car in London (Financial Times).