BusinessWeek Online - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced a plan on Monday to encourage banks to issue a new form of debt known as a covered bond. Paulson said that if investors buy enough of these bonds, which are generally considered safer than many of the risky mortgage-backed securities that proliferated during the housing boom, banks will feel more comfortable financing mortgages again. That, along with various other measures, could restart the stalled housing market, Paulson said. …

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