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Comment by ejdyksen | Hacker News Reader

It’s not available to banks, only to used-to-be-banks.

False. Check the linked press release in my parent comment - the BTFP is available to all banks and allows them to use their under par assets as collateral for loans at par from the Federal Reserve.

“ Borrower Eligibility: Any U.S. federally insured depository institution (including a bank, savings association, or credit union) or U.S. branch or agency of a foreign bank that is eligible for primary credit (see 12 CFR 201.4(a)) is eligible to borrow under the Program. “

I'd say it's bailout-y to value collateral above market value, but isn't totally free money and we haven't seen all the terms for it. At least the Fed is safer holding long term bonds than anyone else.

Fair. Thought you were talking about making SVB depositors whole.

I’d call the BTFP a mechanism to stabilize the banking system in the US, given rising interest rates. I guess I don’t care as much about the semantics, though.

It wipes out losses accrued up to March 12, 2023 on eligible securities, for one year. It's taxpayer funded. Terms are super generous: only a 10bp premium. It's at least a bailout for one year. It may or may not get extended.

It also works against the Federal Reserves stated policy of shrinking their balance sheet due to inflation.

I do think it's somewhat clever. It basically lets the private banking sector control the pace of QT. If liquidity dries up somewhere in the system it does a one-year targeted QE.

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