Thread: Fed Offers $100 Billion More to Banks

Fed Offers $100 Billion More to Banks

Friday, March 28, 2008 2:00 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve announced Friday it will auction another $100 billion in April to cash-strapped banks as it continues to combat the effects of a credit crisis.

The central bank said it would make $50 billion available at each of two auctions, on April 7 and April 21.

Through the end of March, the Fed has provided $260 billion in short-term loans to commercial banks through the innovative auction process. It also has employed Depression-era provisions to provide money to investment banks.

All the moves have been designed to cope with a serious financial crisis that has roiled U.S. and global markets and caused the near-collapse of Bear Stearns Cos., the nation's fifth largest investment bank.

The Fed has been holding auctions every two seeks since December to provide short-term loans to commercial banks. It started with auctions of $20 billion, then pushed the level to $30 billion, and in early March raised the auction amount to $50 billion as the credit shortage grew more severe.

In announcing the move to $50 billion last month, the Fed said it would continue the auctions for at least the next six months, unless credit conditions show they are no longer needed.

The auctions are just one of a series of unorthodox steps the Fed has taken to battle the current crisis. The biggest of those moves was an announcement that it was allowing investment banks to borrow directly from the Fed. Previously, only commercial banks, which face tighter regulations, had that privilege.

The Fed also said it would make available $30 billion in financing to support the sale of troubled Bear Stearns to JP Morgan Chase & Co., hoping to prevent a bankruptcy that could have rocked Wall Street.

The Fed's auctions have drawn criticism from some that the central bank, and ultimately U.S. taxpayers, could be financing a bailout for big Wall Street firms that had engaged in risky lending practices.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will fact questions about the Fed's recent moves when he testifies on Wednesday before the congressional Joint Economic Committee.

http://www.newsmax.com/money/fed_credit ... 83815.html

Do not breathe! This house of cards could tumble at any time.

Any guesses as to whom will profit from this debacle? Who holds the deck?

How many more houses, condos, and apartment buildings must we build to satisfy their hunger?

Where can we get enough people to occupy all of these homes? Perhaps Congress knows where we could find "X" millions of people just looking to live the American dream?

If we could just figure out how to get more people into this country we could fill the surplus supply of homes on the market and then we could get back to business as usuall and build more homes, our darling industry.

If each and every one of us could just buy one home and "flip" it every year, then none of us wealthy Americans would ever have to work again! Wow, what a novel idea! Just like a brain fart! Ofcourse the future generation might not like the idea that we sold them into slavery! But what the heck, if we don't tell them, they won't know any better!

Perhaps 'that' book that no one likes to talk about tells us about these types transactions?

What was so disgusting about manufacturing steel? Oh yea, selling carbon credits is a much more distinguished manner of making a living. Perhaps if we sell enough carbon credits to China we can all sit on our duffs. JMHO

Maybe they should ask us before they start giving our money away.

Why not just give every American over the Age of 30 $100,000.00 This should help things out. Its not like the money is going to be worth much anyways.