Brits Reject 'Too Big to Fail'

In a move that may come as early as Tuesday, the British government will be chopping up its major banks that were bailed out by taxpayers. Under pressure from European regulators, Britain will be forcing the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, and Northern Rock to sell off parts of their operations. Across the pond, the U.S. has been reluctant to make similar moves, arguing that there needs to be a solution for liquidating large banks that go bust. Advocates of downsizing say that large financial institutions take enormous risks because they assume the government will bail them out. America's three largest banks, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, control about one-third of the nation's deposits and are the main players in providing mortgage loans and credit cards. Experts are piping up, and most seem to support nationalization of the banking system.