Special Program Root Tag

On the face of it, Powell's Federal Reserve this week pushed ahead with what's been its policy for the past year and so did other major central banks. But in reality everything's changed, after a string of bank collapses sent tremors through world markets.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen repeated her comment from a day earlier that the government's recent actions were "taken to ensure that Americans' deposits are safe." She sought to clarify it with a new line: "Certainly, we would be prepared to take additional actions if warranted."

Financial tightening stemming from two recent bank collapses has served as its own check on inflation, according to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. He said the relatively small rate hike announced Wednesday was not the result of financial stability concerns.

The incentive structures for both banks and large, sophisticated depositors have changed because of federal regulators' decision to guarantee the uninsured deposits of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

The government-backed acquisition heads off regulatory and financial concerns at a Swiss bank that could have affected overseas financial institutions that U.S. lenders count on.

SVB, First Republic and PacWest play a variety of roles in several RMBS, but structural protections are walling off the deals from current tremors in the banking sector.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says it has extended the deadline for bids on Silicon Valley Bank, will break the bank into two parts for sale and will allow nonbanks to bid on asset portfolios.

As it turns out, the plan was designed to buy time for the financial regulator Finma and the Swiss National Bank to secure a sale — not for Credit Suisse to rescue itself.

Institutions can borrow against par-valued securities that they would otherwise have to sell at a loss when there's a run on deposits, and it could have effectiveness beyond its actual usage.

The high-stakes acquisitions of 2008 and subsequent legal liabilities have sapped enthusiasm from many prospective buyers for Silicon Valley and Signature Banks. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. may end up having to sell assets piece by piece.