CIT shareholders should take their money and run

True, FDIC has denied CIT’s request to access its debt guarantee program and yes, Treasury is unwilling to extend additional credit after losing the $2.3 billion of TARP money it already invested in CIT.

But an implicit bailout may still be available: FDIC-insured deposits. CIT Group has an FDIC-member subsidiary, CIT Bank. If CIT can’t convince the Feds to back its debt directly, maybe it can persuade them to allow an asset transfer from the holding company to the bank subsidiary in order to access more FDIC-insured deposits. Compare the 10.5 percent interest rate CIT is likely to pay bondholders to “rescue” its business with the two percent interest rate it would likely pay on one-year CDs guaranteed by FDIC and you understand why deposits are a preferable funding mechanism.