STIMULUS PLAN

Overview of U.S. bank rescue plan
Senate passes stimulus; Treasury unveils bank help
Senate approves $838 billion stimulus; Congress, administration in $3 trillion revival effort
Stocks fall as gov't unveils financial plan
Financial stocks led the market lower Tuesday, reflecting Wall Street's growing concerns about the government's ability to restore the health of the banking industry.
Traders and investors said the lack of specifics from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on how the government would direct more than $1 trillion in public and private support was troubling.
"The good news is they are going to spend a trillion dollars, the bad news is they don't know how," said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group.
Geithner's speech "basically puts a spotlight on the fact that the government has no idea how to fix the problem," said Jeff Buetow, senior portfolio manager at Portfolio Management Consultants. "People bought on rumor and hope, and now they're selling on reality."

• Geithner pledges forceful attack on banking crisis

The Federal Reserve said it would expand the size of a key lending program to as much as $1 trillion from $200 billion. The program, which has yet to begin operations, is designed to boost resources for consumer credit and small business loans.
The government is betting that access to Fed loans will entice private investors to buy toxic assets, but Whalen said many hedge funds, private equity firms and other investors are still wary of trading them.
"Most fund managers see these assets and don't want to touch them," he said. "They can't sell them."