Bailout Talks Accelerate for Ailing Citigroup

The federal government was nearing an agreement Sunday night to rescue Citigroup Inc. by helping to remove billions of dollars in toxic assets from its balance sheet, people familiar with the talks say.

The agreement, which was still under discussion and could fall apart, would mark a new phase in government efforts to stabilize U.S. banks and securities firms. After injecting nearly $300 billion of capital into financial institutions, federal officials now appear to be willing to absorb bad assets, on a targeted basis, from specific institutions.

The talks Sunday centered on the creation of what is sometimes called a "bad bank" -- an outside entity designed to hold some of a financial firm's worst assets. That structure would help Citigroup cleanse itself of billions of dollars in potentially toxic assets, these people said.

Under the terms being discussed with top Treasury Department and Federal Reserve officials, Citigroup would agree to absorb losses on assets covered by the agreement up to a certain threshold, people familiar with the matter said. The U.S. government would then absorb any additional losses, these people said. One person said the new entity is expected to hold about $50 billion of assets.

That would mean taxpayers could be on the hook if Citigroup's massive portfolios of mortgage, credit cards, commercial real-estate and big corporate loans continue to sour.