[savedbygrace]

I know very little about all this economic stuff, so I’m probably all wet on this.

The Fed stopped reporting M3 in March 2006. Included in M3 are Repurchase Agreements. Some, perhaps many, Credit Default Swaps and other Derivatives are Repurchase Agreements.

So, the huge uptick in CDS’ and other Derivatives (of home mortgages) would have been easier to see if the Fed had continued to report M3, no?

Even so, the components would still have been available to Greenspan, Bernanke, and Paulson way before Paulson and Bernanke suddenly announced in the Fall of 2008 how much trouble we were in. Did any of those three men raise any red flags about this stuff before the Fall of 2008?

But I’m merely displaying my lack of knowledge of these things.

[pointsal]

bttt

[curiosity]

Some, perhaps many, Credit Default Swaps and other Derivatives are Repurchase Agreements.

Nope. They are totally different things. Repos are simply short-term loans collateralized by Treasuries or other securities.