The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is set to pay almost $23 billion to stabilize the banking sector. That money comes from an insurance fund that is refilled annually through fees paid by banks. Now the agency is considering a special assessment on the entire industry to help make up the costs, according to a Bloomberg report. It also noted that big banks (who have been the biggest beneficiaries, as depositors have flocked to safer ground) might have to pay extra.
Investors weren't jolted by the downgrade because they already know the fractured state of U.S. politics, the size of the country's public debt, and the challenges it faces to pay for Social Security, Medicare and other expenses.
The national average for gas prices stood at about $3.78 a gallon on Tuesday — about 25 cents higher than that seen one month ago, according to motor club AAA. While today's prices at the pump remain far lower than they were last year, when energy costs soared worldwide in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts say such a jump is unusual.
