Quote from scalpmaster:
What happened to money the banks/institutes claimed they lost in leveraged subprime CDOs? Money heaven?
The future cash flow is the same, but it has a new owner. The new owner is purchasing the same cash flow that was priced higher in the past, but at a lower price. The difference in price is what they declared as loss. The cash that is lost will appear in the account of the new owner but in the future.
It is the perception and the forced sale of the future cash flow that changed. When that happens, cash leaves someone's account, and heads to another account, but it may take time for the cash to make his appearance in the new owner of the cash flow.
If the future cash flow does not appear as scheduled in the future, then the home owner (where future cash will originate) would have consumed that cash, and if his home is upside down, then let say he sticked it to the cash flow owner, who sticked it to the banks (and the succession of sticking continues). That is how debts works when the asset bought with the debt does not grow faster than the cost of debt. In such case, some of those holding lending positions (somewhere in time, past present and future) will be sticked to.
That is why in a recession smart people buy bonds with no risk of default. Because they know that in recessions some of the lenders (even the past lenders with a remaining cash flow) will get sticked. Things are linked in time. Think deeply and you may get it.
PM me if you wish.