Commercial Paper Funding Program (CPFP)

A program instituted in October of 2008 that created the Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF). The Commercial Paper Funding Program (CPFP) was designed to increase the liquidity of the commercial paper market by providing funding to issuers. The program specifically provided a backup measure of liquidity for commercial paper issuers via a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

The SPVs were financed directly by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and were used to purchase three-month commercial paper, both secured and unsecured. This financing was then to be secured by the assets placed into the SPVs and also by the fees paid by issuers of unsecured paper. The Treasury department felt that the program was required in order to prevent further substantial disruption of the financial markets.