Explaining the Financial Crisis

Jin Lee / AP

While we’ve all watched in wonder as the world’s mortgage and credit markets have grown steadily more fragile, and some of the nation’s largest banks have teetered on the edge of the abyss, it’s become clear that a great number of people have no idea what is going on—and we’re not just talking about the ones in charge.

The confounding maze of rules, penalties, gambles and now bailouts, amounts to nothing less than a riddle for many readers, especially those not clued in to the intricacies of the market or the rules and regulations that govern it.

Fortunately, there are a few keen observers who have made sense of the mess and the government’s $700 billion attempt at making things right, and offer up their insights online, free of charge.

The American Scene’s Jim Manzi offers a clear and succinct history of the mortgage crisis and how it has gone on to affect the larger national market, providing no shortage of criticism where he feels criticism is due, not to mention some interesting alternatives to the current administration’s official solution.

Investopedia by Forbes is the investor’s clubhouse with advice and guidance about how to understand, navigate and hopefully survive, the shifting credit and real estate marketplace. Search for unfamiliar terms in the site’s database.

RealClearMarkets is a one-stop shop for market news and columns from all sides of the bailout argument—an imperative bookmark to have for staying abreast of the roller coaster market.

Chris Coats
Senior Writer

Visit our U.S. Economy Web Guide for more useful resources on the topic.

Comments

[Peter]

Good post.Financial crisis is applied broadly to a variety of situations in which some financial institutions or assets suddenly lose a large part of their value..
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