A Wunch of Bankers : A Year in the Hayne Royal Commission

**It was a complicated, galling, and gasp-inducing year at the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.** It wasn't just the long list of scandals exposed to a horrified nation — charging fees to dead people, ignoring blatant conflicts of interest, and taking $1 billion from customers in fees that banks were never entitled to. What made it so fascinating, so heart-breaking, and so enraging was the procession of faces through the witness box, and the team of counsel gazing into the dark heart of banking. Tearful victims, blank-faced executives, hapless regulators, and a couple of utter charlatans all had their day in court, watched by an audience of millions, and revealing — in their stories — the material to justify re-shaping the multi-trillion dollar financial-services industry that forms a pillar of Australian life. A Wunch of Bankers covers not just the big shocks, but the small moments — lost in the flurry of daily reporting — that reveal how companies have used the law, limp enforcement, and basic human behaviour to take advantage of customers. Is there a phrase that allows life-insurance spruikers in call centres to terrify you about your impending death — and the grief-stricken ruins of an estate you'll leave for your bereaved family — while still being legal? Yes, there is. Was there a meeting in which a bank's executives ignored a warning of 'Extreme' from its chief risk officer, to embark on a dodgy scheme that accrued $3.6 billion in funds? There was. In A Wunch of Bankers, the World's Oldest Debuting TV Reporter brings out the colour and grit of the royal commission's proceedings, and explores broader issues raised by the testimony. A compelling mixture of analysis, reportage, and observation, it is a revelatory work. For Daniel Ziffer and his Australia-wide audience, it was a complicated, galling, and gasp-inducing year at the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. It wasnt just its exhaustive rounds of hearings around the country Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, and Sydney on topics from farming finance to financial planning. It wasnt even the long list of scandals exposed to a horrified nation charging fees to dead people, blatant conflicts of interest, and taking $1 billion from customers in fees that banks were never entitled to. What made it so fascinating, so heart-breaking, and so enraging was the procession of faces through the witness box, and the team of counsel gazing into the dark heart of banking. Tearful victims, blank-faced executives, hapless regulators, and a couple of utter charlatans all had their day in court, watched by an audience of millions, and revealing in their stories the material to justify re-shaping the multi-trillion dollar financial services industry that forms a pillar of Australian life. A Wunch of Bankers covers not just the big shocks, but the small moments lost in the flurry of daily reporting that reveal how companies have used the law, limp enforcement, and basic human behaviour to take advantage of customers. Is there a phrase that judges how much life-insurance spruikers in call centres can terrify you about your impending death and the grief-stricken ruins of an estate youll leave for your bereaved family while still being legal? Yes, there is. Was there a meeting in which a banks executives ignored a warning of Extreme from its chief risk officer, to embark on an illegal scheme that accrued $3.6 billion in funds? There was. Mixed among the testimony are snippets from life on the road as the Worlds Oldest Debuting TV Reporter not just driving five hours one-way to talk to a man who almost blew his brains out over a bank nabbing his $22 million estate, but explaining how journalism can only ever give you a glimpse inside complex issues. In A Wunch of Bankers , Danel Ziffer bring out the colour and grit of the royal commissions proceedings, and explores broader issues raised by the testimony. A mixture of analysis, reportage, and observations, it is densely researched and compellingly written. It wasn't even the long list of scandals exposed to a horrified nation -- charging fees to dead people, ignoring blatant conflicts of interest, and taking $1 billion from customers in fees that banks were never entitled to. What made it so fascinating, so heart-breaking, and so enraging was the procession of faces through the witness box, and the team of counsel gazing into the dark heart of banking. Tearful victims, blank-faced executives, hapless regulators, and a couple of utter charlatans all had their day in court, watched by an audience of millions, and revealing -- in their stories -- the material to justify re-shaping the multi-trillion dollar financial services industry that forms a pillar of Australian life. A Wunch of Bankers covers not just the big shocks, but the small moments -- lost in the flurry of daily reporting -- that reveal how companies have used the law, limp enforcement, and basic human behaviour to take advantage of customers. Is there a phrase that judges how much life-insurance spruikers in call centres can terrify you about your impending death -- and the grief-stricken ruins of an estate you'll leave for your bereaved family -- while still being legal? Yes, there is. Was there a meeting in which a bank's executives ignored a warning of "Extreme" from its chief risk officer, to embark on an illegal scheme that accrued $3.6 billion in funds? There was. In A Wunch of Bankers, Dan Ziffer brings out the colour and grit of the royal commission's proceedings, and explores broader issues raised by the testimony