The government has expressed its determination to tackle the financial crisis facing the country, with treasury secretary Henry Paulson promising to find a solution.

Families facing debt problems, made worse by rising food and fuel prices, may be glad to hear that policymakers will be meeting this weekend to discuss the options available.

"This needs to be big enough to make a real difference and get to the heart of the problem," Mr Paulson told reporters.

His comments came on the same day that George Bush insisted such "unprecedented circumstances" required "unprecedented measures".

Mr Paulson suggested the government would step up its purchases of mortgage-backed securities, pointing out that this will cost taxpayers far less than further collapses.

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have already been taken over, while the Federal Reserve has rescued the insurance group AIG from bankruptcy in a move seen by many as the most radical in its history.

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