AIG Needs Another What?

by MoneyNing

People must be numb to all the bailout news by now but it looks like AIG wants another $10 billion sent its way.

Apparently, the $100+ billion we gave to AIG was for other company’s bets that AIG was insuring while the $10 billion is for AIG’s own bets on the same mortgage derivatives. What’s more interesting is that those debts seems to be created by Goldman Sachs so if we are bailing out Goldman and then bailout out AIG to give money to Goldman, aren’t we just basically handing money from the left hand to the right? Can’t the government (treasury or whoever) just get everyone in a room and offset some obligations towards each other and save some administration?

If they don’t know how, my grade 7 teacher is quite good at teaching about linear equations.

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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Eric J. Nisall December 11, 2008 at 6:28 am

It’s amazing that a company such as AIG is going to continue to see relief. What is the government thinking especially after it discovered that a portion of the first payment was being used to fund executive “getaways”, and other perks for corporate executives. At least a company like GM is doing something with the executives taking a 50% reduction in salary and the CEO only making $1 per year now. Must be nice to have a fallback like the government bailout to cover their behinds.

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CD Rates Blog December 11, 2008 at 7:13 am

What have they been thinking all along. All I can say is Arghhhh!!!!

I see you changed your theme a little. I preferred the old theme. Maybe it is too much gray for my liking.

cd :O)

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Joe December 11, 2008 at 7:57 am

I think you’re confused because you presume the government to be efficient! ;-)

Seriously though, this is why the free market is preferable to central planning implemented by gov’t. Too much control (and power) located in too few hands, and no clear picture of what’s going on.

Personally, I think this new bailout is need to cover the AIG execs holiday party, but I may just be jaded.

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MoneyNing December 11, 2008 at 8:41 am

Eric: I think AIG already did some salary cutting. I just hope that they don’t instead take their vacation on AIG’s (our) expense!

CD Rates: Yes I changed the theme. More changes are coming, I’m still thinking about it but thanks for the suggestion. I will work some color into it but the new one feels less cluttered which I really like. It also seems easier to read.

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Eric J. Nisall December 11, 2008 at 11:28 am

Yes, AIG has made some cuts similar to the GM actions. The interesting thing is that in 2006 GM already had slashed CEO and executive pay including bonuses. Of course the two are different in the regard that GM’s problems are not due to misappropriation of funds, rather they were brought on by poor quality and throwing even more money at their problems .

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