The government’s plan to take ownership stakes in American banks is an exceptional step, but not an unprecedented one.

The government’s plan to take ownership stakes in American banks is an exceptional step, but not an unprecedented one.

The bailout plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac places them in a conservatorship of the government and replaces the management.

The bailout plan for the companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, places them in a government conservatorship, much like a bankruptcy reorganization.

The takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reinforced concerns about troubles of the American economy and highlighted its significant reliance on foreign investors, particularly in Asia.

The outgoing leaders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could see big paydays — a prospect that angers many investors, because ordinary stockholders could be virtually wiped out.

Advisers poring over the books of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac concluded that Freddie’s accounting methods had overstated its cushion, officials said.

Under the plan, the Treasury Department will buy billions of dollars in new mortgage securities issued by the companies and inject an unknown amount of capital into them.

Advisers poring over the books of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac concluded that Freddie’s accounting methods had overstated its cushion, officials said.

The fall of one of Russia’s most prominent foreign investors points to the official corruption that afflicts the country.