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WASHINGTON – The government has handed its ATM card to beleaguered mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it removed the $400 billion financial cap on the money it will provide to keep the companies afloat. Already, taxpayers have shelled out $111 billion to the pair, and a senior Treasury official said losses are not expected to exceed the government’s estimate this summer of $170 billion over 10 years.

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Of the organizations that plan to give raises next year, the average base pay increase is projected to be a paltry 2.7%, down from 3.2% in 2009, and even lower than what was predicted earlier this year. In April, a Mercer survey projected pay raises in 2010 to be 2.9%.

But more employers offering pay increases is a good sign for the job market overall, according to Mercer.

Full Story at msnbc.com

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration’s pay czar is limiting the cash compensation for executives at companies that received the largest taxpayer bailouts to $500,000.

The 25th through the 100th top earners at Citigroup, GMAC, American International Group and General Motors also must take more than half their compensation in stock, and at least half must be delayed for three or more years, said Kenneth Feinberg, the Treasury Department’s Special Master for Executive Compensation.