Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday testified before the House that the government is ready to step in with more help for bank depositors if necessary

"We have used important tools to act quickly to prevent contagion," she said. "And they are tools we could use again. The strong actions we have taken ensure that Americans’ deposits are safe. Certainly, we would be prepared to take additional actions if warranted." 

The secretary also stressed that the cost of these interventions is not being borne by taxpayers but rather from the Deposit Insurance Fund, which is funded by bank fees. 

The government is willing to support uninsured depositors as well, according to testimony from Yellen last week. She said those deposits would also be covered in the event that a  “failure to protect uninsured depositors would create systemic risk and significant economic and financial consequences."

Yellen's public comments come as the banking sector continues to fuel uncertainty across the economy.  

Share:
More In Business
Tesla sales jump after months of boycotts
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
Load More