Mortgage Modification and Bailouts Fail. It’s time for Something New to Help the Economy.

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

People are often deterred from filing bankruptcy by a nagging sense of pride that tells them that asking for financial help is somehow admitting defeat. Well, in this type of economy, it couldn’t be further from the truth. And if you need more evidence of that, consider the state of the federal bailout effort, which, while lacking in headlines, continues to be more aggressive today then when it was initially introduced.

It is true that the big bailout, the one for Wall Street, is in view of the finish line. Yet, federal support (tax money) is still being distributed to countless organizations, according to the highest official on the subject, Neil Barofsky.…

Chrysler’s Bankruptcy Fire Sale Is Done, But Indiana May Still Have Something to Say About It

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Well, Chrysler’s bankruptcy fire sale is done. It was finalized on June 10th. Now, three main players hold the bulk of Chrysler’s “good” assets: the Italian car-maker Fiat, the United Auto Workers’ retiree healthcare trust, and the federal government. And, the majority of Chrysler’s secured creditors got 29 cents on the dollar for their debts. You’ll recall that this deal was not without controversy.

The bankruptcy judge who oversaw the case approved the deal, finding it was necessary for Chrysler to avoid liquidation. But the heads of two Indiana pension funds – the Indiana State Police Pension Fund and the Indiana Teachers’ Retirement Fund – and Indiana’s Major Moves Construction Fund appealed the judge’s order to the Second Circuit U.S.…