when the treasury wrapped up tarp the government concluded that its investments had earned more than 11 billion for taxpayers by 2010 11 to be more specific tarp recovered funds totaling 441 7 billion from 426 4 billion invested the government also claimed that tarp prevented the american auto industry from failing and saved more than one million jobs helped stabilize banks and restored credit availability for individuals and businesses 12
tarp is still controversial advocates say it saved the u s financial system and shortened the financial crisis while critics charge the initiative just gave wall street an unnecessary boost even so economists politicians and financial professionals still debate tarp s merits and wonder if it had been necessary critics charge the program did little to help the housing markets which remained depressed for years some say it did not go far enough that the government should have insisted on an equity stake in the financial firms it was bailing out to control their future practices instead critics opine that tarp s no strings loans essentially acted as a reward for bad behavior sending a message of act irresponsibly and we ll help you out and establishing a dangerous precedent of dependency tarp also did not endear the government to the american public which saw wall street reap benefits including those notorious bonuses and return to profitability even as individuals struggled with debt unemployment and foreclosures in the wake of the great recession 