Insurance giant American International Group on Wednesday signed an agreement with the government that details its plan to repay its government loans. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports that the government plans to sell much of AIG's stock in the next few months.
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett extracted onerous terms from Goldman Sachs when he saved it from a potential meltdown. Two years later, Wall Street is healthy again, Goldman wants Buffett out of its hair, and he's looking at a $3.5 billion profit on that $5 billion lifeline.
After months of planning, AIG announced Thursday that it had entered into an agreement with the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York about how it will repay in full its obligations to the U.S. government and regain its independence.
China's local governments are dependent on fees and taxes from developers. Builders gorge on no-cost credit from state-controlled banks to churn out high-end homes most Chinese can't afford. Sounds like a familiar recipe for disaster.