In a sign that the financial sector has returned to stable operation, the Federal Reserve closed many special lending programs started in the midst of the financial crisis in 2008:

Monday saw the end of initiatives aimed at supporting various parts of the commercial-paper market, where companies get short-term financing, along with programs to ensure key investment banks could get liquidity. Also shuttered: currency swap arrangement the Fed had with other major central banks.

Over the next several months other emergency lending programs will also make their last stands. The end of these facilities represents a move by policy makers to normalize their relationship with healing financial markets. Emergency aid withdrawn, an eventual tightening in monetary policy will follow.