The Bailout: What It Means for Consumers

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I feel that the Bail out will be a great solution to the economy and to the overall financial future of this Country's consumer.. however I am also weary of the way the money will be used once in the hands of the companies we are rescuing. The Bail out should be handed out with strict rules to the individual financial institutions.. with the first rule being a complete list of how they will apply every cent, the second rule being no raises nor bonuses or spriffs to any of their CEOs, CFOs, COOs....etc..

Lisa of SC 1:16PM September 29, 2008

Use the printing press for only new money that needs to be replace, or at time of war, and not use the printing press to bail us out for any other reason. live with in our means.This way we never would of got in this big bail out mess.

STEPHEN A KAPOGIANNIS of CA 11:07AM September 29, 2008

I am angry at the CEOs which show in my last post...but I am also royally peeved off at the people who have lived off of credit thinking they were somehow going to get rich by buying a house with no $ down and then flip it two years later. I have zero sympathy for them, either. Credit should be harder to get. All of these people in forclosure brought it on themselves. They believe in the nonsense of the American Dream and buy houses like the sheeple and then cry when they cannot pay the rising payment. What is really galling is when these folks feel entitled NOT to pay when the house is worth less than the loan states. I, for one, never did fall for the American Illusion.

Krishna Govinda of AL 10:38AM September 29, 2008

I sam sick of CEOs getting their Golden Parachutes when government bails them out. Can we say, "American Airlines," when the employees took a paycut after 9-11 but the greedy CEO got millions for saving the airline. Their lifestyles must suffer as well. Yet, folks wonder why I despite the ultra-rich and do not mix with them. Nothing but trouble.

Krishna Govinda of AL 10:26AM September 29, 2008

Hey, how many people live in the U.S? Give us all $1 million each, then we can pay off our mortgages, student loans, credit cards, etc. Lets' jump the economy from the bottomup.

bev bullard of TN 7:11AM September 28, 2008

Do you realize that for about $300b, the govt. could give every US citizen a million dollars? Of course, many would quit their jobs and that would cause problems, but how about giving every citizen $31,500? This amount would not raise our deficit, but would allow us to pay off a considerable amount of our personal debt. The banks would be solvent again, risky investments could be cleared, and the money would flow through our economy through our checkbooks, not wall streets.
The previous stimulus package was paltry, give us back enough of our taxes to make a significant impact on our personal budgets and it will have a positive impact on the economy.
For many families this amount would leave them debt free, or at least allow them to retain a greater portion of their monthly earnings. Some of us might even be willing to purchase some of those stocks floundering at rock-bottom prices.
I realize that some of the wall street investors are overseas, but if all American's could suddenly afford to spend, we would! And that includes buying products which support overseas markets.
Can anyone tell me, if the lenders get a 700b paycheck will they apply it to the bad loans, mortgages, and credit accounts and send every debtor a nice letter saying their account has been cleared? Or, do they get the paycheck from the govt. and then go after the debtors for a second payday?

mona of MO 6:55PM September 26, 2008

I agree maybe if people started buying things with cash or with money they have not some inflated house price they borrow from to buy other things that cant afforded ( cars boats vacations boobs or WHAT EVER THEY BELIEVE THEY NEED) WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF AS A COUNTRY AND A PEOPLE.

Paul Pericozzi of NC 4:56PM September 26, 2008

The American Dream does not even exist for my generation. I am in my mid twenties and having to face the prospect that I can never afford to retire, that the majority of my paychecks (assuming I can obtain the money to finish out my short master's program) will go to paying into Medicare and Social Security (from which I will likely never benefit), and now having to assume the enormous debts of reckless and wasteful financial institutions who flat-out ignored all the warning signs of the housing market bubble popping. They treated Wall St. like the Vegas Strip. Hardly seems fair. Will I have to raise my two young children in a severe recession/depression while these CEO's and financial institutions escape hardly the worse for the wear? And to think that America is now largely owned by other countries, who have been snapping up all of our financial institutions and assets at bargain rates and we, as the American people, have to suck up the illiquid and most vulnerable assets on the market. Way to completely blow it, Washington.

Hannah of VA 3:39PM September 26, 2008

Where will this bailout money come from? New taxes? Less for budgeted items like schools or crime will suffer?
$2300.00 per taxpayer???? I can't afford to shop at a decent grocery store, much less shell out $2300.00 to a lender when I have no loans....For heavens sake, gas is nearly $5 a gallon, when the oil companies are getting record breaking profits...
I was smart and didn't borrow past my limits, why should I have to pay for the irresponsibilities of others?
I don't understand why these big business are flourishing while the average American citizen is losing everything.....
I agree that something must be done. But not at the cost of the American population.

AlyB of FL 7:20AM September 26, 2008

The whole problem is: credit! Living on borrowed money, borrowed time, borrowed resources. It can't go on forever. It's delusional to think the 700b is going to save the system which is crashing around us.

Lonie of AZ 10:15PM September 25, 2008