With reports that the UK will invest $60.5 billion to take control of its four top banks, leading Western finance ministers left Washington with an important unanswered question: "What can we do that will restore confidence to the global financial markets?" I am heartened to learn the U.S. leaders are discarding their reverse auction strategy in favor of a plan to inject capital into our banks. But if that plan is not done the right way, it could be a missed opportunity of colossal proportions.

Here's what worries me about the current vague discussions. If the U.S. invests $700 billion in banks that apply for the investment, then the applications are likely to come from banks that are losing money and have the least amount of capital. If the Treasury invests in these money losing applicants, odds are good that they will keep losing money and the investment will be wasted.

In order to get a return on our investment, Treasury must follow a plan I called cull and capitalize. In this plan, Treasury would analyze our 8,400 banks and pick the winners. To do this, the FDIC could rank banks based on their profitability, their capital levels, and the quality of their assets. The banks that did not make it into the winner's circle would either be encouraged to merge with those winners or close down.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• People with the matter said that Ken Wilson, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc's (NYSE: GS) most senior financial-institutions broker, will temporarily exit the firm, the Wall Street Journal reported, in an effort to advise Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on how to resolve the country's banking crisis.
• The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, a union with a stake in Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C) called for the financial services company to break itself up. The Financial Times reported that the demand will almost definitely be rejected by Citigroup.

• Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan for rescuing Federal National Mortgage Association (NYSE: FNM) -- Fannie Mae -- and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: FRE) -- Freddie Mac -- calls for the creation of a new regulatory agency that would seek to assert more stringent control over the banks and lessen the damage they could cause to the American financial system, the New York Times reported.
• The Daily Telegraph reported that BP Plc (NYSE: BP) blocked a $1.8B dividend payment to its Russian partners in the TNK-BP joint venture.

• According to paidContent.org, now that its cash on hand exceeds its market cap, speculation that Napster Inc (NASDAQ: NAPS) could be a takeover target heated up.

Bloomberg reports this morning that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and President George Bush may announce as early as tomorrow that negotiations between Federal regulators and U.S. lenders will result in a five-year freeze on subprime mortgages. Paulson will brief House Republicans today on the plan, according to Bloomberg.

The deal comes down right in the middle of what the Office of Thrift Supervision wanted (3 to 5 years) and the FDIC wanted (5 to 7 years). The details about the deal are still pretty sketchy, but at least some people who have subprime mortgages will be helped. Most of the mortgages involved in this deal started at about 7% to 9% and are due to reset to 11% to 13% over the next two years, throwing many borrowers who can't afford the higher payments into foreclosure.

Analysts estimate that about 100,000 subprime loans will reset at a higher rate every month for the next two years. Credit Suisse Group estimates that right now, 30% of borrowers with subprime ARMs are behind on their mortgages, even before the reset. The FDIC puts the number at 20%. Regardless of the number, these borrowers probably won't be eligible for the freeze in rates.