Obama to offer broad market overhaul

Geithner says the proposal will give the financial system 'clear accountability and responsibility.'

EMAIL  |   PRINT  |   SHARE  |   RSS
 
google my aol my msn my yahoo! netvibes
Paste this link into your favorite RSS desktop reader
See all CNNMoney.com RSS FEEDS (close)
By Catherine Clifford, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Video
The Fixers
7 people are in charge of rescuing the economy. Here's who they are and how they plan to do it.
When will the government come up with a plan to reform health care?
  • By the end of the year
  • By the end of Obama's term
  • It won't happen
Bailout tracker
Follow the money: Bailout tracker
The government is engaged in a far-reaching - and expensive - effort to rescue the economy. Here's how you can keep tabs on the bailouts. More

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President Obama will release details on Wednesday of his proposed overhaul of how the government oversees banks and financial companies.

The aim is to patch holes in the country's complex system of financial regulation.

The system "was fundamentally too fragile and unstable and it did a bad job of protecting consumers and investors," said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, who spoke at a Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500) summit on the economy. Time Warner is the parent of CNNMoney.com.

Geithner addressed the main objectives of the new regulatory system, although he was not willing to discuss specific details of the proposal prior to the official unveiling by Obama on Wednesday.

The U.S. financial system is far less centralized than other mature economies, according to Geithner, pointing to the between 8,000 and 9,000 banks throughout the country. To hold a vast system accountable, he said that there has to be a more centralized regulation system.

"At the core of making the system stronger is to give one place clear accountability and responsibility," he said.

Focus on reform: In a commentary published in Monday's Washington Post, Geithner and the director of the National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers, said the proposal would grant the Federal Reserve increased power in the oversight and management of the largest financial companies in the market.

It would also create an agency like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., to oversee consumer-oriented financial products.

The two men wrote that the plan would point to the need for deeper cash reserves at major financial institutions. Those firms -- whose operations affect other, smaller institutions -- will be moderated by a consortium of Federal Reserve leaders.

In addition, the proposal intends to impose stricter reporting standards for asset-backed securities in an attempt to prevent a housing boom and subsequent bust like the one that catalyzed the current downturn, the two men wrote.

The housing collapse, fueled by the popularization of subprime mortgages, was evidence of weak consumer protection, Geithner and Summers wrote, adding that the proposal Obama will unveil Wednesday works to continue to protect consumers.

Another component of the plan, which "will be available only in extraordinary circumstances," according to Geithner and Summers, creates an option to dissolve financial companies that are too big to fail.

"It will help ensure that the government is no longer forced to choose between bailouts and financial collapse," they wrote.

The proposal will also pledge to lead a global overhaul in regulation.

One financial industry representative said he was on board with the reform agenda.

The five areas touched on "are widely recognized by the industry and other experts as issues that must be addressed," said Tim Ryan, president and CEO of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, in a written statement.

"From a systemic supervisor to resolution of non-banks and other areas, we in the industry understand the urgent need for reform and are working to provide substantive and constructive solutions as the political process moves forward," added Ryan.

Proposal still has to face Congress: Obama's proposal would require congressional approval. Geithner is set to testify about the plan before Congress on Thursday.

The plan will meet with opposition from those opposed to giving the government a heavier hand in the financial marketplace.

While Geithner acknowledged the importance of competition to create innovation in a market economy, he was also unwavering in the defense of increased regulation.

"We are not going to go back to where it was -- we can't," he said Monday. "The damage of the crisis was just too acute."

Geithner said it is crucial to reform the regulatory system even before the economy is completely out of the current recession. "We are trying to move very, very quickly while the memory of the crisis is still in the forefront of people's memory," he said. To top of page

Features
They're hiring!These Fortune 100 employers have at least 350 openings each. What are they looking for in a new hire? More
If the Fortune 500 were a country...It would be the world's second-biggest economy. See how big companies' sales stack up against GDP over the past decade. More
Sponsored By:
More Galleries
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
7 startups that want to improve your mental health From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More
Sponsors
Worry about the hackers you don't know 
Crime syndicates and government organizations pose a much greater cyber threat than renegade hacker groups like Anonymous. Play
GE CEO: Bringing jobs back to the U.S. 
Jeff Immelt says the U.S. is a cost competitive market for advanced manufacturing and that GE is bringing jobs back from Mexico. Play
Hamster wheel and wedgie-powered transit 
Red Bull Creation challenges hackers and engineers to invent new modes of transportation. Play

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.