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Money, Power and Wall Street

April 24 & May 1, 2012

On April 24 and May 1, FRONTLINE tells the inside story of the global financial crisis.

59:10
Episode OneInside the epic rise of a new financial order -- and the trouble that followed
54:30
Episode TwoHow U.S. leaders struggled to respond to a financial crisis that caught them by surprise
57:25
Episode ThreeHow Obama inherited a financial crisis that would define his first term
56:20
Episode FourFRONTLINE probes a Wall Street culture that remains focused on risky trades.
SPECIAL FEATURE
The FRONTLINE Interviews Firsthand testimony from deep inside the financial crisis & its aftermath
THE LATEST

Did the Fed’s Emergency Lending Prop Up “Too Big to Fail”?

The Obama administration arrived in Washington in early 2009 facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — and an American public outraged by bailouts for the financial institutions that had gotten them there.

The State of Reform: Dodd-Frank at Two Years Old

The landmark legislation — which clocks in at more than 2,000 pages — was meant to rein in a financial system that brought the economy to the brink of collapse in 2008.

Do Credit Ratings Still Matter?

In the four years since the banking crisis began, a familiar pattern has emerged regarding the nation’s credit ratings agencies: … Continue reading

Trouble At UBS For Obama’s Favorite Banker?

Office politics may be creating a somewhat awkward work environment for President Obama’s favorite banker, who according to a report … Continue reading

Home Foreclosure Rates on the Rise Again

U.S. home foreclosure filings increased 9 percent last month over April, according to a new report from RealtyTrac, an online … Continue reading

Sheila Bair: From Regulator To Watchdog

A year removed from the FDIC, Bair is setting her sights on opponents of financial reform.

Small Banks Under Pressure From New Capital Requirements

In a potential strain on many of the nation’s smallest lenders, the Federal Reserve will seek to hold U.S. banks … Continue reading

How Much Did the Financial Crisis Cost?

There’s little in the way of  comprehensive bean-counting when it comes to the financial crisis. That’s in part because it’s still … Continue reading

Shadow Banking Down From Crisis, But for How Long?

The so-called “shadow banking system” that was at the heart of the financial crisis has seen its value fall by more than half over the last few years

Watch Now: Six Billion Dollar Bet

Jon Corzine, former head of Goldman Sachs and political power broker, took over MF Global in the spring of 2010 with oversize ambition and a passion for risk. But after a massive bet on European debt turned sour, the firm lay in ruins, with more than a billion dollars of customer funds missing.

Is the U.S. Economy Prepared for the Fallout From Greece?

Greece’s political and financial uncertainty has Europe on edge, as the continent waits for a new round of elections on … Continue reading

JPMorgan Loss Poses Early Test For Dodd-Frank Pay Rules

As JPMorgan Chase & Co. continues to deal with the fallout from its $2 billion trading loss, the nation’s largest … Continue reading

What Can We Learn from JPMorgan’s $2 Billion Loss?

JPMorgan’s risky trade highlights the ongoing debate over financial regulations currently being written

What’s the Status of the Dodd-Frank Financial Overhaul?

In July 2010, President Barack Obama signed what became known as the Dodd-Frank bill, the financial reform package aimed at overhauling the financial regulatory system and ending the risky practices that led to the 2008 financial crisis.

The Financial Crisis Is Like… Sangria?

Well, it’s like a lot of things, according to some of the economists, journalists, bankers, activists and officials we interviewed for our four-hour series on the global financial crisis, “Money, Power and Wall Street.”

Live Chat 1 p.m. ET: Can Wall Street Change?

Join Money, Power and Wall Street producers Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria for a live chat featuring guest questioner Felix Salmon from Reuters. You can leave a question now.

The Buzz Around That Tim Geithner Scene…

A scene from Money, Power and Wall Street generated a lot of feedback on Twitter during last night’s broadcast, and we’ve curated some of the most interesting reactions…

Live Chat 1 p.m ET: The Battles Behind Closed Doors

Join Money, Power and Wall Street producers Mike Wiser and Jim Gilmore for a live chat featuring guest questioner Ryan Lizza from The New Yorker. You can leave a question now.

Lessons Not Learned at MF Global

Once a sleepy brokerage firm dealing with financial products like corn futures and pork bellies, MF Global appeared to be … Continue reading

What Has Occupy Wall Street Been Up To?

While today’s renewed protests are getting a lot of attention, a small group of activists has been quietly working within the financial system to change America’s regulatory processes.

From Bear to Lehman: Documents Reveal an Alternate History

On the heels of investment bank Bear Stearns’ sudden collapse in March of 2008, the New York Federal Reserve Bank, then led by President Timothy Geithner, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dispatched teams of investigators to the four largest remaining investment banks.

Live Chat 2:30 p.m. ET: How Do You Stop A Financial Meltdown? (Hour 2)

Join Money, Power and Wall Street producers Michael Kirk and Mike Wiser for a live chat featuring guest questioner Andrew Ross Sorkin from The New York Times. You can leave a question now.

The Buzz Around “Money, Power and Wall Street”

Financial journalists, Occupy Wall Street activists and even a senior economic adviser to President Obama all took to the internet to talk about last night’s broadcast of the first half of “Money, Power and Wall Street.”

Live Chat 1 p.m. ET: Down the Financial Rabbit Hole (Hour 1)

Join Money, Power and Wall Street correspondent Martin Smith and producer Marcela Gaviria for a live chat featuring guest questioner Gillian Tett from the Financial Times. You can leave a question now.

Next Week: How the Financial Crisis Never Ended

Money, Power and Wall Street continues next Tuesday (watch a preview above), with an inside look at how the Obama administration, including a divided economic team, has handled the crisis and how the financial world has returned to many of the practices that created the meltdown in the first place.

Introducing “The FRONTLINE Interviews”

At the heart of Money, Power and Wall Street are FRONTLINE’s interviews with Wall Street power brokers and financial innovators, … Continue reading

Bloomberg: “Money, Power & Wall Street” “Takes No Prisoners”

“‘Money, Power and Wall Street’ is demanding — this isn’t Finance for Dummies, but it’s a compact and thorough lesson,” Bloomberg’s Greg Evans writes in his review of FRONTLINE’s new special on the global financial crisis.

Dig Deeper: What You Need to Know About the Financial Crisis

Amid the fiercest financial crisis since the Great Depression, FRONTLINE has been at the forefront of investigating the roots of the meltdown, the hidden stories of those who warned about what was to come and the lessons moving forward.

Top Fed Official: “The Moment Is Now” to Break Up Big Banks

Is the “too big to fail” problem with us now more than ever?

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