Quote from trefoil:
Unless I'm missing something, we're not talking about an FDIC-insured member of the Federal Reserve. To quote:
Source: http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/discountrate.htm
So, all discount window loans are fully secured, first of all, and second of all, whoever borrowed that half a bil is not a member of the Federal Reserve, at the minimum, which means it's not a really big bank.
Someone's in trouble, it seems, but on the evidence, it's probably not someone who'd cause a lot of trouble by going down.
Although, life is full of surprises.
I am NOT above mistakes...umm, but I don't believe I am mistaken here. Where does the reference above say that "anybody" can go to the Fed's windows? It is my understanding (and, yes, as hard as it is to believe, I am fallible ;-) ) I understand the above to mean that ONLY FDIC/FedRes aligned banks/cos. can go to the windows...including the secondary window. We are NOT talking about a "mom and pop" shop staying alive here! We are talking about a Corp. that needs about $500 Mil. to stay afloat for the next week or so - TO MEET PAYROLL!!! What - TAF, TALF, TLSF aren't enough???!!! Accessing the secondary window in years past would have been, umm, faux pas!!! TODAY?!?!?! - somebody is in REAL TROUBLE
http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/banknote/bn2002/bn1202.htm See the stuff about "stigma"
-gastropod