WASHINGTON — Mortgage giant Freddie Mac is looking for $6.1 billion in additional government aid as the cost to taxpayers from the housing market bust keeps growing.

The McLean, Va.-based company, seized by federal regulators in September, yesterday posted a loss of $9.9 billion, or $3.14 per share, for the quarter ending March 31. That compared with a loss of $149 million, or 66 cents a share, in the year-ago period.

The results were driven by $8.8 billion in credit losses due to soaring delinquency rates and falling home prices, and $7.1 billion in writedowns of its mortgage-backed securities.

"This was another difficult quarter for Freddie Mac, as declining home prices and the weak economy continued to take a toll on our results," said the interim chief executive, John Koskinen.

DEFICIT $20.9B FOR APRIL IN RECORD YEAR OF RED INK

WASHINGTON — The federal government ran a deficit in the month of April for the first time in 26 years, pushing the red ink so far this budget year to a record $802.3 billion.

The Treasury Department said yesterday the April deficit was $20.9 billion, a sharp contrast from the surplus of $159.3 billion in the same month last year. It also was slightly more than the $20 billion deficit economists had expected.

For the budget year that began Oct. 1, the imbalance totals $802.3 billion, keeping the country on track toward the first $1 trillion annual deficit in U.S. history.

ADVANTA CUTS OFF CREDIT TO 1 MILLION SMALL BUSINESSES

NEW YORK — Advanta Corp., a credit-card issuer for small businesses, may leave 1 million customers scrounging to find new lenders and leave debt holders facing losses of 35 percent as the company shuts down accounts to preserve capital.

Advanta will cease lending June 10 after uncollectible debt reached 20 percent as of March 31, according to a statement and filings yesterday by the firm. The lender has earmarked $1.4 billion to buy back securitized card loans with offers of 65 cents to 75 cents on the dollar.