Profit from the bailout

One under-reported economic bright spot is that a big federal bailout of 2008 turned out to be a successful venture, after all.

Associated Press reported last month that the U.S. Treasury is selling its remaining 234 million shares of the American International Group (AIG). In a controversial move early in the recession, the government invested $183 billion to keep AIG afloat and prevent other Wall Street collapses.

As of three months ago, Treasury and the Federal Reserve had recovered more than $197 billion. The sale of the additional shares is expected to bring in another $8 billion or so.