And yes, the money is apparently there, or else why are we spending so much on Trident, or bailing out bank shareholders?

The bank shareholders keep their cash.

If the six major European bank shareholders had agreed on a satisfactory way to deal with the third world loans, they would have sold the bank.

Bank employees generally did quite well during the bubble, even as bank shareholders didn't.

The losses will also be felt by bank shareholders.

It is a joint venture with a separate legal entity owned by a group of bank shareholders.

The losses will be borne by the bank shareholders and the pension funds.

As these institutions struggle through a difficult period, bank shareholders are likely to see their investments continue to lose value and their dividends cut.

As a result, it will in reality be the Swedish pension funds and other bank shareholders themselves that will lose out.

The transaction is expected to be completed in early 1996, pending approval from bank shareholders and regulatory agencies.