Unpacking the insurance giant’s failure during the 2008 economic crisis
The latest collapse and you will near-failure regarding insurance policies giant Western Global Category (AIG) is actually a major time regarding the recent overall economy. AIG, a global business approximately $step 1 trillion during the possessions ahead of the crisis, lost $99.dos billion from inside the 2008. On the Sep 16 of the year, the latest Government Set-aside Financial of the latest York stepped when you look at the which have a keen $85 mil financing to save the fresh weak company from heading significantly less than.
Since the AIG’s near-incapacity is a favorite and you may renowned feel regarding overall economy, it considering good touchstone getting then monetary reform talks, and you can significant amounts of factual statements about AIG while the save your self is within the societal domain name. The Congressional Supervision Panel additionally the Financial crisis Query Percentage produced detail by detail accounts you to incorporated accounts from AIG, and also the Federal Set aside Financial of new York made social an effective in depth account of its involvement.
Still, a lot of us-economists included-are blurry on what taken place. Just how, just, performed AIG get to the point of failure? Inside the a recently available papers, Robert McDonald, a professor off loans during the Kellogg College off Management, and you will Anna Paulson of your Federal Set-aside Financial from Chicago, remove to one another different analysis and you may suggestions to create an economic story of just what ran wrong.
AIG was a secret to a lot of some one and it’s very challenging, McDonald claims.