Barack Obama, Toxic Assets | featured news

The Obama administration launched a broad government effort this week to overhaul mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and is considering splitting the companies and putting their troubled assets in a new federally backed corporation, administration officials said.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says government will spend up to $100 billion to join private investors in buying up to $1 trillion in bad sub-prime mortgages, securities and other ailing assets.

The Obama administration today formally unveiled details of its long-awaited plan to help cleanse banks and financial institutions of bad home loans and toxic securities, making a calculated gamble that partnering with private investors to buy the assets will stabilize the crisis while limiting the