TARP repayment

Republicans in the House of Representatives voted Thursday to eliminate the Obama administration's "car czar," as well as the "pay czar" who oversees compensation at companies bailed out with TARP money, and seven other presidential advisers.

Citigroup on Wednesday announced the promotion of John Havens, the head of its Institutional Clients Group, to president and chief operating officer. The move is designed to make the financial behemoth nimbler by cutting the number of executives who report directly to CEO Vikram Pandit.

The number of government-aided U.S. banks in danger of failing has grown about 15% in the past six months, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The economy has continued to batter many struggling institutions, with 98 bailed-out banks -- up from 86 in the second quarter -- now at risk.

General Motors has repurchased $2.1 billion in preferred stock from the federal government, further reducing the amount the automaker owes taxpayers following last year's bailout. The latest transaction cuts the government's stake in the rebounding carmaker to 33% from 61.5%.

The federal governments bailout program has earned the taxpayer nearly $35 billion in the last two years, The Associated Press said. Income from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) rose by almost 17% through November compared with the estimate in October, the AP said. Part of the extra...

Bank of America has told U.S. regulators that it has met the final condition that was set on its plan to exit the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program. BofA, which repaid $45 billion in TARP funds in December 2009, needed to raise $3 billion in capital by the end of 2010.

The central bank says the disclosures cover more than 21,000 individual transactions done to "restore the flow of credit to American families and businesses, and support economic recovery and job creation in the aftermath of the crisis." It also says no money has been lost so far.

The much-criticized Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will end up costing the federal government about $25 billion, far less than previously expected. A report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that the costs will largely stem to funds given to American International Group (AIG),...

Historians will look back on Washington's bailout of GM and Wall Street as the right move. That's because it's now clear that the costs of doing nothing would have been far higher, and it turns out that taxpayers may suffer only limited losses on this economic Hail Mary pass.

As Bank of America continues to cope with fallout from the housing and mortgage crisis, the financial institution may have to pay some year-end employee bonuses in the form of stock because of a possible cash shortfall related to its buy-back of stock from the federal government.