HSBC Becomes First Bank to Bail Out Troubled SIVs.

The article focuses on the British bank HSBC Holdings PLC, which became, in November of 2007, the first known bank to bail out specialized funds known as structured investment vehicles (SIVs). A discussion of the bank's plans to gradually shut down two bank sponsored SIVs and take $45 billion in mortgage backed securities and other assets owned by the funds onto its own balance sheet is presented. Problems which have plagued SIVs are discussed.