If the BPC is correct in their numbers, it is unlikely that the U.S. government would default on interest payments to investors.

FORBES: U.S. Treasury To Run Out Of Money By Feb. 15, Study Says

The decision by the Fed to offer emergency liquidity to Bear Stearns and to facilitate its acquisition by JPMorgan Chase had less to do with the size of Bear's balance-sheet than with its central role in markets for credit-default and interest-rate swaps.

ECONOMIST: Paradise lost

They have stayed strong since Russia's default, allowing interest rates to be slashed this year.

ECONOMIST: Central Europe