Name: Charles, San Francisco Question:The Fed Chairman and President Obama often complain that the banks are just not making enough private loans, while at the same time offering banks a strong incentive to buy risk-free T-Bonds with money borrowed from…

Name: Paul, El Cerrito, Calif. Question: I have been a dedicated viewer of your segments on the NewsHour for years. Unfortunately, even with your fine reporting, I am still confused about the ramifications of the financial meltdown in 2008. I…

Rounding out our series today, those of you considering strategic default might find particular encouragement from the web chat with law professor Brent White of the University of Arizona, who thinks it both legally and morally okay. "It's interesting…

I was all set to label our monthly post on the unemployment data "Hold Your Horses" or "Not So Fast," a warning not to overplay the apparently sizable drop in the official unemployment rate from 9.8 percent to 9.4. But…

Jan 06

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More from the strategic default debate today. Economist Luigi Zingales of the University of Chicago, also in our original story, argues there are damaging spillover effects ("negative externalities") when homeowners strategically default. "By walking away, not only do you…

Jan 05

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We've been concentrating on the housing crisis over the past several days here on the Business Desk. For the rest of the week we'll be focusing on the issue of strategic default. If you're an underwater homeowner who can afford…