Rating agencies are being blamed for giving high marks to bonds backed by subprime mortgages. Marketplace's Amy Scott talks to Kai Ryssdal about the SEC's attempts to reform the system.
Moody's, Fitch and other ratings agencies have been slammed for not spotting the risks in the subprime mortgage market. Now they're hard at work to earn back their reputations. Amy Scott reports.
With the credit crunch making it harder for even those with good credit to get a loan, small business entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to peer-to-peer lending. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to a few who have prospered.
Lehman Brothers, the smallest of Wall Street's big investment banks, is reporting big losses — and that's making many market watchers nervous. Jill Barshay reports.
While Lehman Brothers expects to lose nearly $3 billion in the second quarter, the bank says it's raising $6 billion in capital from elsewhere. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports it may be readying for a sale.
In this edition of Getting Personal, Chris and Tess talk about private mortgage insurance, 457s vs. 403(b)s, removing a co-signer and borrowing from a 401(k).
A new twist on the global rush for food: investors are going straight to the source and investing in farmland and equipment. Host Bob Moon talks to Diana Henriques of The New York Times about this new trend.
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced a deal with three major credit rating agencies to overhaul the way they look at mortgage-backed securities. Jill Barshay has the story.
On the heels of the buyout of Bear Stearns by JP Morgan, Bear's private equity firm is expected to announce a spin-off into a separate company. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports JP Morgan will be the new company's biggest investor.
For the first time in seven years, the government will be selling the one-year T-bill. Jill Barshay reports the government needs money badly enough to bring back old Treasuries and safe, short-term debt.
