AIG bill still hitting taxpayers

Dick Taffe — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:42:08 +0000

The Congressional Oversight Panel says in a scathing report that the government failed to exhaust all options before bailing out the insurance giant American International Group – although the rescue did help the financial system avert collapse. Nonetheless, the watchdog panel says taxpayers may never be paid back all of the $182 billion funneled to support AIG. Former Federal Reserve Bank examiner Mark Williams, who teaches finance in the School of Management and is author of “Uncontrolled Risk” about the fall of Lehman Brothers, says the report speaks to the elevated role that policymakers have in conducting stronger risk management.

“Taxpayers deserve better decision making that incorporates basic risk-management tools, including risk measurement, worst-case forecasting, monitoring, and frequent reporting. With significantly more taxpayer money at risk, now it is time for policymakers to exercise better risk management.”

Contact Mark Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu

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AIG bill still hitting taxpayers