Treasury, Fed continue extensive bailout efforts

That figure includes large commitments of funds by the government to guarantee certain debts, and those funds may never actually be spent. But still, the overall figure reflects the huge liabilities the government is taking on in response to the meltdown.

The government's latest effort to address the financial crisis is a $20 billion investment in banking giant Citigroup Inc., along with an agreement to guarantee hundreds of billions of dollars in possible losses.

The step, announced late Sunday, is the latest in a long list of government moves:

_March 11: The Federal Reserve announces a rescue package to provide up to $200 billion in loans to banks and investment houses and let them put up risky mortgage-backed securities as collateral.

_March 16: The Fed provides a $29 billion loan to JPMorgan Chase & Co. as part of its purchase of investment bank Bear Stearns.

_May 2: The Fed increases the size of its loans to banks and lets them put up less-secure collateral.

_July 11: Federal regulators seize Pasadena, Calif.-based IndyMac, costing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. billions to compensate deposit-holders.

_July 30: President Bush signs a housing bill including $300 billion in new loan authority for the government to back cheaper mortgages for troubled homeowners.

_Sept. 7: The Treasury takes over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, putting them into a conservatorship and pledging up to $200 billion to back their assets.