I have an idea. A public - private (government - investor) fund to buy toxic assets from banks was proposed as a way to get banks stable again. Why not have something like that but entirely private? No tax dollars involved. In a sense the investors buying into that would sort of be "taking one for the team". But it is like with high-risk jobs like fixing a telephone wire or something one can get hazard pay, incentives should be structured for those investors willing to take one for the team. Like FDIC insured "coupons" or something. So if I am an investor buying into the "toxic asset rescue fund" I can buy say a 1 million dollar "coupon", redeemable after some reasonable number of years at some reasonable but attractive interest rate (say 3%). And it is FDIC insured. So I am others like me buy a bunch of "coupons" in this toxic asset rescue fund. The money goes into the banks to help them stabilize. The assets bought are worthless and may not even be tangible, but the fund managers for this rescue fund can try and sell off or profit from the assets as best they can, but even so, they will probably be in the red still, but that doesn't matter so much. In 10 years when the coupons are redeemable, the banks will have money again, and the FDIC can insure the redeeming of the coupons. The fund can be managed basically by bank managers for the banks who are benefiting from it. All the government has to do is insure the coupons being bought to get enough investors to be confident enough to join the fund. But in 10 years hopefully the banks can pay back the coupons and the Feds won't have to pay any insurance out anyway. The toxic assets are the cancer eating the banks, which is eating the economy so it is imperative this be taken care of, in order to increase liquidity. The rescue fund proposed is a good idea. I'm saying why not make it all private. Keeps the burden off the tax payers, and still provides a way for banks to cover their asses.