Bailout Lets a Few Lucky Banks Off the Hook

"Specifically, some of the banks that received TARP money aren't obligated to make good on dividend payments they have missed. That leaves the banks with a dilemma of either fulfilling their obligations to taxpayers at the expense of their own balance sheets, or keeping the money for themselves. Banks can protect themselves and their shareholders by skipping the payments. Shelling out optional payments to the U.S. government could even be interpreted as a breach of duty to shareholders."