TARP Tally: 52 Institutions, $150B in Added Capital

The Treasury Department, to date, has spent $150 billion of taxpayer money investing in preferred shares of 52 different institutions, outgoing secretary Henry Paulson said Monday afternoon. Mr. Paulson noted that hundreds of banks have applied for Troubled Asset Relief Program money, adding that, "we will work through the remaining applications in the coming weeks and months." He said the agency is continuing "to examine potential foreclosure mitigation ideas" that could use TARP funds. He also complemented the FDIC's loan modification effort at IndyMac Bank, Pasadena, Calif., calling it "effective." IndyMac is expected to be sold by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. this month. It's anticipated that whichever investor buys IndyMac will continue the loan modification program.