Citi Too Big to Fail or Too Big to Manage?

It's probably not fair to hold any bank executive's utterances from even a few months ago against them, as we're definitely in a period where, just when you think things can't get any worse, they do.Still, one can't help analyzing yesterday's news from Citigroup that it will split itself into two organizations - one with assets it intends to keep (global commercial lending, retail banking, international consumer banking, U.S. consumer banking, private banking, and investment banking and advisory services) and one with assets it will spin off or sell (Smith Barney, Primerica insurance business, consumer finance, private label credit cards, global asset management businesses, and illiquid mortgage-related assets) - with CEO Vikram Pandit's comments in November, when he appeared on the Charlie Rose show. Check out the video:

Katherine Burger is Editorial Director of Bank Systems & Technology and Insurance & Technology, members of UBM TechWeb's InformationWeek Financial Services. She assumed leadership of Bank Systems & Technology in 2003 and of Insurance & Technology in 1991. In addition to ... View Full Bio