- Title Pages
-
Chapter 1 The Health Care Reform Legislation -
Chapter 2 The Simple Economics of Health Reform -
Chapter 3 The Economics, Opportunities, and Challenges of Health Insurance Exchanges -
Chapter 4 Can the ACA Improve Population Health? -
Chapter 5 Systemic Reform of Health Care Delivery and Payment -
Chapter 6 How Stable Are Insurance Subsidies in Health Reform? -
Chapter 7 Financial Regulatory Reform -
Chapter 8 Government Guarantees -
Chapter 9 How Little We Know -
Chapter 10 Finding the Sweet Spot for Effective Regulation -
Chapter 11 A Recipe for Ratings Reform -
Chapter 12 Should Banker Pay Be Regulated? -
Chapter 13 Fixing Bankers’ Pay -
Chapter 14 It Works for Mergers, Why Not for Finance? -
Chapter 15 Hedge Fund Wizards -
Chapter 16 Investment Banking Regulation After Bear Stearns -
Chapter 17 Why Paulson Is Wrong -
Chapter 18 Dr. StrangeLoan -
Chapter 19 Questioning the Treasury’s $700 Billion Blank Check -
Chapter 20 Auction Design Critical for Rescue Plan -
Chapter 21 A Better Plan for Addressing the Financial Crisis -
Chapter 22 Please Think This Over -
Chapter 23 Is Macroeconomics Off Track? -
Chapter 24 If It Were a Fight, They Would Have Stopped It in December of 2008 -
Chapter 25 Comment on Barbera -
Chapter 26 Pension Security Bonds -
Chapter 27 Carbon Taxes to Move Toward Fiscal Sustainability -
Chapter 28 Net Neutrality Is Bad Broadband Regulation -
Chapter 29 Trills Instead of T-Bills -
Chapter 30 The Google Book Settlement -
Chapter 31 The Stakes in the Google Book Search Settlement -
Chapter 32 The NFL Should Auction Possession in Overtime Games - Index
Auction Design Critical for Rescue Plan
Auction Design Critical for Rescue Plan
- Chapter:
- (p.154) Chapter 20 Auction Design Critical for Rescue Plan
- Source:
- The Economists' Voice 2.0
- Author(s):
Lawrence M. Ausubel
Peter Cramton
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
This chapter assesses the Treasury’s proposal to invest $700 billion in mortgage-related securities to resolve the financial crisis, using market mechanisms such as reverse auctions to determine prices. While a well-designed auction process can indeed be an effective tool for acquiring distressed assets at minimum cost to the taxpayer, a simplistic process could lead to higher cost and fewer securities purchased. It is critical for the auction process to be designed carefully. The immediate crisis is one of illiquidity. Banks hold a variety of mortgage-backed securities, some almost worthless, while others retain considerable value. None can be sold, except at fire-sale prices. The Treasury proposes to restore liquidity by stepping in and purchasing these securities. But at what price? A better approach would be for the Treasury to conduct a separate auction for each security and limit itself to buying perhaps 50 percent of the aggregate face value. If the security clears at 30 cents on the dollar, this means that the holders value it at 30 cents on the dollar. The auction then works as intended. The price is reasonably close to value. The “winners” are the bidders who value the asset the least and value liquidity the most.
Keywords: financial regulation, Treasury Department, mortgage-related securities, financial crisis, reverse auctions, liquidity
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- Title Pages
-
Chapter 1 The Health Care Reform Legislation -
Chapter 2 The Simple Economics of Health Reform -
Chapter 3 The Economics, Opportunities, and Challenges of Health Insurance Exchanges -
Chapter 4 Can the ACA Improve Population Health? -
Chapter 5 Systemic Reform of Health Care Delivery and Payment -
Chapter 6 How Stable Are Insurance Subsidies in Health Reform? -
Chapter 7 Financial Regulatory Reform -
Chapter 8 Government Guarantees -
Chapter 9 How Little We Know -
Chapter 10 Finding the Sweet Spot for Effective Regulation -
Chapter 11 A Recipe for Ratings Reform -
Chapter 12 Should Banker Pay Be Regulated? -
Chapter 13 Fixing Bankers’ Pay -
Chapter 14 It Works for Mergers, Why Not for Finance? -
Chapter 15 Hedge Fund Wizards -
Chapter 16 Investment Banking Regulation After Bear Stearns -
Chapter 17 Why Paulson Is Wrong -
Chapter 18 Dr. StrangeLoan -
Chapter 19 Questioning the Treasury’s $700 Billion Blank Check -
Chapter 20 Auction Design Critical for Rescue Plan -
Chapter 21 A Better Plan for Addressing the Financial Crisis -
Chapter 22 Please Think This Over -
Chapter 23 Is Macroeconomics Off Track? -
Chapter 24 If It Were a Fight, They Would Have Stopped It in December of 2008 -
Chapter 25 Comment on Barbera -
Chapter 26 Pension Security Bonds -
Chapter 27 Carbon Taxes to Move Toward Fiscal Sustainability -
Chapter 28 Net Neutrality Is Bad Broadband Regulation -
Chapter 29 Trills Instead of T-Bills -
Chapter 30 The Google Book Settlement -
Chapter 31 The Stakes in the Google Book Search Settlement -
Chapter 32 The NFL Should Auction Possession in Overtime Games - Index
