Big banks are roaring back. At crisis' edge last year, they are repaying billions of dollars dumped into their vaults to rescue them. Dividend checks are accumulating at the Treasury. Taxpayers won't recoup the full sum of the government's unprecedented infusion to the financial sector, but the returns are ahead of schedule.

Several U.S. policy makers consider JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon as a potential successor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the New York Post said, citing sources.

U.S. carmaker General Motors will present a new viability plan for Opel in mid-December as it aims to reduce capacity across Europe by about 20 percent, a top executive said on Thursday.

The coroner’s report left no doubt as to the cause of death: toxic loans. That was the conclusion of a financial autopsy that federal officials performed on Haven Trust Bank, a small bank in Duluth, Ga., that collapsed last December, the New York Times reported.

A group of House Democrats are stepping up demands for greater transparency from the Federal Reserve after reports that the Fed mishandled the bailout of insurance giant American International Group.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York gave up much of its power in high-pressure negotiations with the American International Group’s trading partners last year, according to a government report made public on Monday.

A top economic adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Friday that the urgency for changing the rules of the road for financial firms may be waning and urged Congress to act while the general public is focused on banking issues.

General Motors reaffirmed on Friday it wants state aid to help overhaul European arm Opel after a newspaper quoted GM's chairman as saying the U.S. carmaker will not ask German taxpayers for help.

The U.S. government's $700 billion bailout program will "almost certainly" result in an overall loss for taxpayers, a key auditor for the program said on Thursday

Now that more banks are preparing to repay billions of dollars in TARP money, what is the government planning to do with it?

Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, told CNBC Wednesday that his version of the financial reform bill is a "discussion draft," and there is still room for debate over whether to create a single federal regulator, as well as whether to make an independent consumer protection agency.

The Obama administration's new proposal for tackling financial risk in the U.S. economy, unveiled just two days ago, came under attack Thursday from all sides, with critics targeting its funding and scope.

A top U.S. bank regulator said Thursday a government mechanism to dismantle troubled giant financial companies should be pre-funded, a departure from the administration's draft legislation on the subject.

A government watchdog said the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry played a major role in rescuing the economy over the last year but also engendered anger and distrust among Americans because of secrecy and confusion about the way the program was handled.

Even during his most frenzied days, when Congress is demanding answers or the president himself is calling, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner makes time to talk to a select group of powerful Wall Street bankers.