The program is run by the Treasury's new Office of Financial Stability. The fund will be split into the following administrative units:
1) Mortgage-backed securities purchase program: This team is identifying which troubled assets to purchase, from whom to buy them and which purchase mechanism will best meet the bailout policy objectives.
2) Whole loan purchase program: Regional banks are particularly clogged with whole residential mortgage loans. This team is working with bank regulators to identify which types of loans to purchase first, how to value them, and which purchase mechanism will best meet the bailout policy objectives.
3) Insurance program: We are establishing a program to insure troubled assets. They have several innovative ideas on how to structure this program, including how to insure mortgage-backed securities as well as whole loans.
4) Equity purchase program: They are designing a standardized program to purchase equity in a broad array of financial institutions. As with the other programs, the equity purchase program will be voluntary and designed with attractive terms to encourage participation from healthy institutions. It will also encourage firms to raise new private capital to complement public capital.
5) Homeownership preservation: When the treasurey purchases mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, they will look for every opportunity possible to help homeowners.
6) Executive compensation: The law sets out important requirements regarding executive compensation for firms that participate in the TARP. This team is working hard to define the requirements for financial institutions to participate in three possible scenarios: One, an auction purchase of troubled assets; two, a broad equity or direct purchase program; and three, a case of an intervention to prevent the impending failure of a systemically significant institution.
7) Compliance: The law establishes important oversight and compliance structures, including establishing an Oversight Board, on-site participation of the General Accounting Office and the creation of a Special Inspector General, with thorough reporting requirements. We welcome this oversight and have a team focused on making sure we get it right.
TARP participation restrictions
Companies that sell their bad assets to the government must provide warrants so that taxpayers will benefit from future growth of the companies. The President is to submit a law to cover taxpayer losses on the fund, using "a small, broad-based fee on all financial institutions." In order to participate in the bailout program, "companies will lose certain tax benefits and, in some cases, must limit executive pay. The fund has an Oversight Board so that the U.S. Treasury cannot act in an arbitrary manner. There is also an inspector general to protect against waste, fraud and abuse.