As miracle cures go, clearinghouses for derivatives seem to be everyone’s favorite. By requiring that most swap contracts be settled daily through institutions that collect and spread financial risk, Congress and Treasury claim that we can all sleep better at night without fear of more AIGs. Sorry to break this reverie, but if this is true, why does Senator Chris Dodd’s financial bill give clearinghouses access to the Federal Reserve’s discount window? That’s the special Fed lending facility that is typically available only to banks that can’t get the funding they need elsewhere. Does the Senator know something most Americans do not?
The clearinghouse rescue plan
Most Popular Articles
Latest Articles
Rocket delivers $291M profit amid improved margins and MSR acquisitions
The Detroit-based lender reported a GAAP net income of $291 million from January to March, its highest profit level in two years.