sub-prime mortgage crisis

How Could Ye Be So Blind About Subprime?

federalreservebuildingThere is nothing more frightening than when those in charge of the economy miss something that was as plain as the nose on your face. Such was the situation with the Federal Reserve and the subprime mortgage crisis in 2007.   The FOMC met on August 7th and claimed there was not enough evidence of a subprime problem.

Please be a watchdog for Wikipedia pages on 2007-8 crises

Last night I stumbled upon a series of Wikipedia pages on the sub-prime mortgage crisis, financial crisis, global financial crisis, and economic crisis of 2007-2008.

The pages so far are OK, but I think the denizens of EP can add a lot to those pages (and I wouldn't be surprised if many of you already have). What I am especially worried about are attempts by wrong-wingers to rewrite certain parts, as I gather from the discussion pages has happened already. So, I appeal to everyone here to look at those Wikipedia pages every once in a while, and help keep them accurate.

Did the 2005 Bankruptcy “Reform” cause the world financial collapse?

Did the 2005 Bankruptcy “Reform” cause the world financial collapse?

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Report No. 358 - Seismic Effects of the Bankruptcy Reform.

Remember the Bankruptcy Abuse [sic] Reform act of 2005? Yeah, the one that the credit card companies and banks got passed by buying the very best Congress money can buy. Turns out, according to the New York Fed's research, that since people going bankrupt after the BAR found it more difficult to stop paying their unsecured debts - i.e. credit cards - they were forced to stop paying their mortgages instead. Over 120,000 of them a year, according to the NY Fed researchers.