Reply #13: U.S. Shifts Focus in Credit Bailout to the Consumer [View All]

[ozymandius]

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Wednesday officially abandoned the original strategy behind its $700 billion effort to rescue the financial system, as administration officials acknowledged that banks and financial institutions were as unwilling as ever to lend to consumers.

But with a little more than two months left before President Bush leaves office, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. is hoping to put in place a major new lending program that would be run by the Federal Reserve and aimed at unlocking the frozen consumer credit market.

The program, still in the planning stages, would for the first time use bailout funds specifically to help consumers instead of banks, savings and loans and Wall Street firms.

Treasury officials said they hoped to invest about $50 billion from the bailout fund into the new loan facility, with the aim of helping companies that issue credit cards, make student loans and finance car purchases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/business/economy/13bailout.html?bl&ex=1226725200&en=8493bad0556dcca4&ei=5087%0A

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Did somebody konk Paulson in the head? He's talking about putting money into the hands of people who will use it.