Here are some questions and answers about recovering bailout money.

Q: Which banks have repaid their government loans?

A: In June, banks began repaying the money they received under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. The "repayers" so far include some of the nation's biggest and best-known banks. Among them: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., U.S. Bancorp, American Express Co., BB&T Corp., Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and Northern Trust Corp.

Q: Did the government earn any profits when the money was paid back?

A: The government has made around $4 billion in profits from the eight above institutions and another $35 million from 14 smaller banks, according to The New York Times.

In return for the government aid, the banks issued the Treasury warrants to buy their common stock at a set price over the next 10 years, and preferred shares carrying a 5 percent annual dividend rate. The government's profits come from those dividends and increases in stock prices.

Q: So the government is getting a healthy return on its emergency investment in the banks?

A: Not exactly. While some banks that received TARP money have paid it back, many haven't - including banking giants Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., which each received $45 billion. Some of the banks ma y never repay the money.

And there might be big losses for the government on its rescues of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (combined $96.3 billion so far), insurance conglomerate American International Group Inc. ($182 billion), and carmakers General Motors and Chrysler (combined $65 billion).

Originally published by Associated Press .

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