The Federal Reserve announced that dawn several measures to deal with the current liquidity crisis on Wall Street. It is creating a new Term Securities Lending Facility (TSFL) that will lend Treasury securities for 28 days as opposed to overnight under the current program. The key element of that program is that it will accept residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) as collateral.

The Fed is plus taking coordinated action with the other major central banks: The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank. It has additionally authorized increases in the currency swap lines with the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank.

These actions are meaningful for several reasons:

• The Fed,
  by accepting MBS as collateral, is now attempting to inject liquidity directly to the area that is the source of the credit crunch.
• It is extending the term in order to give additional confidence that funding will be available for a longer period of duration. No one will lend unless they are assured that funding will be available. that addresses the issue.
• The Fed is taking action on a global basis with other central banks. that an additional degree to build confidence in the financial markets.

Continue reading The Fed: The true lender of final resort

Original post by Douglas S. Roberts

money home equity credit card mortgage income taxes foreclosure child support refinance debt consolidation finance