Some investors are understandably irate that their funds including one run by the chairman of GMAC, a troubled car-loan firm charged above-average fees, only to plonk the bulk of their cash in Mr Madoff's lap.

ECONOMIST: The Madoff affair

As the FDIC chairman, she has added programs to the agency, including ones that provide temporary liquidity guarantees, increases in deposit insurance limits and systematic loan modifications to troubled borrowers.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Or the Federal Reserve could add to the alphabet soup of lifelines created in the last year to handle the credit crisis, including a variety of auction and loan programs to help banks deal with troubled balance sheets.

FORBES: Magazine Article

That demand is precarious, and no firm will take a chance on increasing supply in such troubled times, when banks demand a premium to cover their large loan losses.

FORBES: Money Creation and Limited Government

This connection between tax dollars and contract awards to corporations with ties to countries like Iran has been exacerbated by Washington's TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) and TALF (Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility) outlays undertaken thus far.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Doing business with Iran

As long as real estate prices continued to rise, troubled homeowners could avoid default on their mortgages by selling their properties to cover the loan obligations.

FORBES: Beware of Clintons Bearing Gifts

As home prices have stabilised, unemployment has gradually declined and troubled loans have been restructured or written off, the two have set aside ever smaller provisions for loan losses.

ECONOMIST: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Back to black | The

Under discussion: extending the pay-back term of an existing Russian loan of 2.5bn euros, made in 2011, and whether Russian could buy into a troubled bank.

BBC: Cyprus bank crisis: Mounting EU pressure

That was the original purpose of the Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP), before it was used to recapitalise banks, bail out carmakers and subsidise loan modifications.

ECONOMIST: The American economy