withinstead, the money has been used to provide capital to banks in order to shore up their balance sheets while the banks continue to carry those toxic investments. the panel is particularly worried about smaller banks and their exposure to commercial real estate loans as the august report from the tarp watchdog notes - quote - it is likely an overwhelming portion of the troubled assets from last october remain on bank balance sheets today. and later in the report, tom, the oversight panel calls those same assets a "substanial danger to the financial system." beej, it has been 10 months since congress okayed the tarp program, ultimately agreeing to spend just under $700 billion. and here's the accounting so far....the treasury department has used just over $370 billion of taxpayers tarp money to make investments of various kinds, from buying preferred stock in banks, targeted investments in citi, a-i-g, chrysler and general motors. this does include the tarp money banks like goldman sachs and others have paid back...as well as money for mortgage modifications. what's remaining in the kitt