Geithner: Derivatives Blindsided Government

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is telling lawmakers the U.S. economy stumbled last year in part because the power and risks of an explosive derivatives market blindsided the government.

In congressional testimony prepared for delivery Friday, Geithner said the ease with which derivatives were bought and sold in an era of easy credit encouraged financial institutions and investors to take on too much risk.

At the same time, government regulators weren't given the proper tools to mitigate those risks and protect the American consumer, he said.

The federal regulatory system "failed in its most basic responsibility to produce a stable and resilient system for providing credit and protecting consumers and investors," he said. ...