Account Guarantee Programs

United States: Temporary Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds

Purpose

To “[maintain] confidence in the money market fund industry,” which “is critical to protecting the integrity and stability of the global financial system”

Key Terms

  • Launch Dates
    Announcement: Sept. 19, 2008; Authorization: Sept. 19, 2008, and Sept. 29, 2008; Operation: Sept. 29, 2008
  • End Date
    Sept. 18, 2009
  • Eligible Institutions
    MMFs regulated under Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 with an NAV of at least $0.995 as of Sept. 19, 2008
  • Eligible Accounts
    MMF balances held as of the program’s announcement on Sept. 19, 2008
  • Fees
    1 to 1.5 basis points, paid quarterly, depending on the NAV of the participating MMF
  • Size of Guarantee
    100% of all asset shortfalls
  • Coverage
    $3.2 trillion of assets
  • Outcomes
    No defaults; $1.2 billion in fee revenue collected
  • Notable Features
    “Death Insurance”: MMFs could exercise the guarantee only if they shut down the fund, incentivizing the parent fund to restore the NAV of the MMF; Eligibility Restrictions: Only balances held as of the announcement of the program were eligible for the guarantee, preventing runs from other types of accounts into MMFs

Key Design Decisions

Purpose1

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Size of Guarantee1

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Process for Exercising Guarantee1

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Key Program Documents

Key Program Documents

Key Program Documents

Key Program Documents

Key Program Documents

Key Program Documents

Taxonomy

Intervention Categories:

  • Account Guarantee Programs

Countries and Regions:

  • United States

Crises:

  • Global Financial Crisis