Subprime lenders got some explaining to do

Mar 21, 2007
Both lenders and regulators will be in the hot seat on Capitol Hill this week. With millions of American homeowners facing the threat of foreclosure and a growing number of lenders facing bankruptcy, Congress wants some answers.

Subprime lending from the ground floor

Mar 20, 2007
We've heard a lot about the big names in subprime lending lately. But people like Frances Geary are struggling to keep their homes as mortgage payments rise. She talked with Jane Lindholm from her Upland, Calif., residence.

Lessons from the mortgage-default wave

Mar 20, 2007
The number of failed mortgages is continuing to rise. Marketplace's Steve Tripoli talks with Kai Ryssdal about the shenanigans that have put a lot of new homeowners in trouble.

Subprime fears feed rate speculation

Mar 20, 2007
Some are calling for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates to help insulate the economy against declines in the housing market. But others say the Fed is more concerned about inflation than recession.

Planning a city from scratch

Mar 16, 2007
About 60 miles north of Los Angeles is one of the last big open spaces left in this country that's near a major urban area. But it might not stay wild much longer. Kai Ryssdal talks about Tejon Ranch with writer Jon Gertner.

Digging for subprime gold

Mar 15, 2007
As the subprime mortgage sector approaches a full-scale meltdown, investment bank Goldman Sachs is talking about getting deeper into subprime lending. Is it a fire sale or a fool's market?

Barclays wants its money back

Mar 15, 2007
The subprime mortgage crisis has rippled across the pond and now British banking giant Barclays is demanding the immediate repayment of $900 million from U.S. subprime lender New Century.

For public good, not for profit.

Big players make a subprime choice

Mar 14, 2007
Nervousness over the subprime mortgage market is causing some wild swings in the stock market. Kai Ryssdal talks with the Wall Street Journal's Kate Kelly about the big names who are entering the fray.

Could the economy become subprime?

Mar 13, 2007
Subprime lenders are in trouble. Foreclosures are up. Marketplace's Tess Vigeland talks with Kai Ryssdal about why that matters for the larger housing market and the whole economy.
A foreclosure sign hangs in front of a home in Miami.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

What fed the subprime lending spree?

Mar 13, 2007
Some experts are pointing to a securitization equation: No consequences for loan originators + investors bundling risky loans = a menu ripe for subprime abuse.