The Treasury Department estimates the final cost to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which ended Sunday after two years, will be $50 billion. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 created TARP as a government-induced bailout of the financial sector. Independent observers and the Congressional Budget Office initially said TARP would cost more than $350 billion. Combined with investments in American International Group (AIG) the cost of TARP programs will be about $30 billion. “Most of the cost of TARP is expected to come from two sources: expected losses related to TARP investments in auto companies and initiatives to help responsible homeowners avoid foreclosure,” according to the Treasury report. Beyond TARP, the Treasury expects “substantial losses” from the bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but a “substantial part” of these losses will be offset by the revenue from its purchase of $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities. The Treasury still has not recieved $55 billion in investments to troubled banks through the Capital Purchase Program, but it expects to finish selling its investment in Citigroup (C) by next year. AIG, too, has laid out a plan to pay back the Treasury for its investment. Write to Jon Prior. The author holds no relevant investments.
Treasury says TARP to cost $50 billion
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