No trivial matter: The USA financial crisis of 2008 (aka the "mortgage meltdown" ) The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) became program of the United States government to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008 . It was a component of the government's measures in 2008 to address the subprime mortgage crisis . Flip②▶ STORIFY ♥ FLIPBOARD ★ BLOGGER ▲ INsync ® ★ SUBSCRIBE ☆Search ALTACITIES ▶ [ View the story "TARP comes out from under cover" on Storify ]