The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will end up costing taxpayers an estimated $24 billion, which is 25 percent less than the previous estimate, CNNMoney.com reported yesterday. The latest estimates come from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). TARP's lower cost is primarily due to a better-than-expected return on the sale of stock of insurer American International Group, whose rescue is now estimated to cost TARP about $14 billion once Treasury sells its remaining stake. In March, the CBO estimated that the AIG bailout would cost Treasury $22 billion.
