Banks Lowball Taxpayers on TARP Payback

(NEWSER) - Attempts to revive the banking industry so far have been “inadequate,” Timothy Geithner said today, promising to “fundamentally reshape” the government’s plan to rescue banks, driven by more forceful action. “We want their balance sheets cleaner and stronger,” Geithner said. To do it, he’ll force banks to go through a “stress test,” and roll out a host of new and expanded programs. More»

Treasury will set 'floor price' on distressed assets to lure buyers

(NEWSER) - The Treasury's latest plan to rescue the banking industry relies heavily on private-sector investors, the New York Times reports. The government will guarantee a floor price on the toxic assets weighing down banks’ balance sheets, encouraging hedge funds, private equity groups, and even insurers to buy them. The plan should reduce the need for federal fundraising and mitigate the risk to taxpayers. More»

Hundreds of small banks struggling to repay loans

(NEWSER) - The Treasury Department tends to give glowing reviews to the TARP bailout, but the program's inspector general has a distinctly different view. "It is a widely held misconception that TARP will make a profit," writes Christy Romero in a new report to Congress, according to the Huffington Post . She notes in particular that 351 smaller banks that got loans are struggling to repay them, reports the Wall Street Journal . More»

Government trying to unwind stock without losing on the deal

(NEWSER) - The Treasury Department has had a tough time selling off some of the stock it took on in exchange for TARP bailout funds, meaning taxpayers are still on the hook for some $132.9 billion—some of which they may never get back, according to a report released today by the government watchdog overseeing the program. Selling the stock has been complicated by swingy stock market prices, and deep dips in some of the bailed out companies, the AP reports. More»

Smaller banks under stress, finds WSJ analysis

(NEWSER) - Some 98 US banks that received government bailout cash may be at risk of failing under the weight of bad loans and eroding capital, a Wall Street Journal analysis of third-quarter data finds. That's up from 86 in the second quarter. The 98 at-risk institutions received $4.2 billion in TARP funds, which were supposed to go only to healthy banks. To date, seven TARP recipients have failed, resulting in $2.7 billion in lost funds. More»