Goldman Sachs became the first institution to move towards paying back its $10 billion bailout when it announced a share issue for private investors designed to raise $5 billion.
According to the Guardian, Bank of America and JP Morgan are also keen to get the government out of their boardrooms by paying back their emergency loans.
A total of $310 billion was paid out to top US banks under Tarp. Banks will only be allowed to pay their loans back if they pass 'stress tests' currently being carried out by the Treasury.
In other news, banks that received bailout funding are to face an investigation over "hikes" in their interest rates, fees and customer penalties, the Independent reports.
Elizabeth Warren, the Congressional appointee overseeing Tarp, said her report would look at whether the higher charges meant taxpayers are effectively "paying twice" to support the financial sector.