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The Fed and Bear Stearns The Federal Reserve takes unprecedented action to reassure an anxious financial community, changing its operating rules and helping arrange the sale of a sagging Wall Street titan, the investment bank Bear Stearns, to JPMorgan Chase.
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The Fed and Bear Stearns

The Federal Reserve takes unprecedented measures to reassure an anxious financial community.

Bernanke Defends Fed's Rescue of Bear Stearns

As Congress grilled top financial regulators about whether the rescue of troubled investment bank Bear Stearns will put taxpayer money at risk, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the bailout was necessary to avoid a financial meltdown.

Bernanke Defends Fed's Rescue of Bear Stearns

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JPMorgan Boosts Offer for Bear Stearns Buyout

Wall Street investment bank JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay more money for the troubled securities firm Bear Stearns. Last week, Bear Stearns almost melted down because of the credit crisis, and JPMorgan hoped to scoop up the firm at a fire-sale price. Then, top shareholders in Bears Stearns balked.

JPMorgan Boosts Offer for Bear Stearns Buyout

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Rubin to Fed: Examine Roots of Credit Crisis

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin says policymakers must examine the series of events and regulatory failures that led to the current credit crisis to prevent a reoccurrence.

Rubin to Fed: Examine Roots of Credit Crisis

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Have Fed's Efforts Helped Calm Investors' Worries?

The Federal Reserve and others have been trying to restore confidence on Wall Street. The Bear Stearns collapse is only the latest blow. All of the recent interest rate cuts and other moves were designed in part to bring calm. Bethany McClean of Fortune magazine explains why fear persists despite all those efforts.

Have Fed's Efforts Helped Calm Investors' Worries?

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Bear Stearns' Collapse Ripples to Neighbors, Beyond

The collapse of Bear Stearns, the country's fifth largest investment bank, is big news on Wall Street, but is it also affecting everyday people — the people who work right in Bear Stearns' neighborhood?

Bear Stearns' Collapse Ripples to Neighbors, Beyond

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Fed Rate Cut Boosts Stocks; Another Cut Coming?

Stock prices Tuesday had their biggest one-day gain in five years. Prices jumped after the Federal Reserve decided to cut a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point. Fed policymakers said they remain concerned about the slowing U.S. economy and suggested that they may cut rates again.

Fed Rate Cut Boosts Stocks; Another Cut Coming?

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Shedding Light on the Latest Fed Rate Cut

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday cut the federal funds rate by three-quarters of a percentage point, less than what many in the financial markets wanted. It was still aggressive by historic standards and underscores the Fed's economic concerns.

Shedding Light on the Latest Fed Rate Cut

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Democrats' Advisers Weigh In on Market Turmoil

Should the Federal Reserve and the federal government intervene to bail out companies — such as Bear Stearns — that are in dire economic straits? The chief economic advisers to the Democratic presidential candidates weigh in.

Democrats' Advisers Weigh In on Market Turmoil

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Lehman Bros. Earnings Ease Market Fears

The stock market rebounds after news that Lehman Brothers posted better-than-expected earnings, dispelling rumors of huge subprime losses. But longer term concerns about the credit crunch and a weak economy remain.

Lehman Bros. Earnings Ease Market Fears

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Fed Expected to Cut Another Key Interest Rate

The Federal Reserve meets Tuesday to decide whether to lower a key interest rate. Over the weekend, the central bank approved a cut in its emergency lending rate to financial institutions and became a lender of last resort for investment houses to begin securing short-term emergency loans.

Fed Expected to Cut Another Key Interest Rate

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Investors Eye Wall Street for Other Signs of Trouble

Analysts on Wall Street fear that another big investment bank could be teetering on the edge of disaster. Investors this week will watch closely the earnings of major banks and look for any signs that aggressive moves by the Federal Reserve are bringing stability back to credit markets.

Investors Eye Wall Street for Other Signs of Trouble

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Is the Fed Doing Enough to Help Sagging Economy?

The Federal Reserve swooped in quickly to prevent Wall Street titan Bear Stearns from going bust and triggering a panic on Wall Street. It's not a bailout in the sense of a taxpayer rescue of a corporation. But it is part of a more activist approach to the credit crisis by both the Fed and the Bush administration's economic team.

Is the Fed Doing Enough to Help Sagging Economy?

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A Brief History of Bear Stearns

The collapse of Bear Stearns caps an astonishing run for the Wall Street giant, which managed to survive the Great Depression and countless recessions. But the current mortgage debacle proved too much.

A Brief History of Bear Stearns

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Bear Stearns Collapse Costly to Many

Many people lost big money as Bear Stearns collapsed, among them British billionaire Joseph Lewis and Dallas-based money manager James Barrow. But employees may take the biggest hit. Collectively, they owned a huge stake in the bank.

Bear Stearns Collapse Costly to Many

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A Close Look at the Fed's Bear Stearns Action

Did the Federal Reserve make the appropriate moves in its unprecedented effort to address the Bearn Stearns crisis? Charles Calomiris, a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, offers his insights.

A Close Look at the Fed's Bear Stearns Action

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Fed's Bear Stearns Move Breaks New Ground

The Federal Reserve's decision to extend credit to the ailing investment bank Bear Stearns is an unprecedented move. And the Fed took additional steps to address a crisis of confidence on Wall Street.

Fed's Bear Stearns Move Breaks New Ground

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Bailing out Bear Stearns

J.P. Morgan bought its collapsing rival Bear Stearns after the Federal Reserve intervened. The Fed took several unusual moves, including approving the purchase over the weekend instead of waiting until a March 18 scheduled meeting.

Bailing out Bear Stearns

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What the Fed Did for Bear Stearns

With a looming recession, the Federal Reserve has taken an unusually active roll in trying to prevent a total collapse. Ken Kuttner, a former Fed staff economist, discusses the role the Fed is playing in the current economic turmoil.

What the Fed Did for Bear Stearns

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