: Yellen says U.S. would take ‘additional actions’ on bank system if necessary
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday will tell lawmakers that the federal government would take extra steps to stabilize the U.S. banking system if necessary. “We have used important tools to act quickly to prevent contagion,” Yellen says in testimony prepared for delivery to a House Appropriations subcommittee. “And they are tools we could use again.” Yellen’s comments follow a Senate hearing on Wednesday in which she said she wasn’t considering ways to guarantee all bank deposits. Invoking regulators’ guarantee of all deposits at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Yellen says “the strong actions we have taken ensure that Americans’ deposits are safe. Certainly, we would be prepared to take additional actions if warranted.” Some lawmakers have discussed raising the deposit-insurance limit from its current $250,000 per depositor, but Yellen said Wednesday that is not her focus right now.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.