The Financial Crisis in Everyday Language

Are you mystified by the current financial crisis and the housing explosion? Are you pissed as hell about the bailout of rich executives while your 401k dives?

If you’re like me, you want to understand. I’ve put together a couple simple links- mostly thanks to This American Life’s Ira Glass and a large number of people who are hundreds of percent smarter than me.

Thanks, hundreds of percent smarter  than me people.

Episode 355: The Giant Pool of Money: Explains the housing crisis in everyday term that everyone- including me- can understand. Why did the housing bubble begin? What’s the outcome? Ira learns, and so do we.

Episode 365: Another Frightening Show About the Economy: Follow up to the previous that extends the discussion about the housing crisis to a discussion about the ins and outs of the global financial system- specifically in relation to the current crisis and the Paulson plan. It may sound boring, but it’s seriously interesting- and absolutely terrifying.

Given the success of these two shows, correspondents Adam Davidson and David Kestenbaum have started a new blog entitled “Planet Money.” It’s a great blog, explaining complex finances to everyday people without losing the details, yet using everyday language.

There are a great many links and tangents to hit from these sites- but this is an incredible start. Whether you’re mad about the bailout, or just confused about what the hell is going on, check out the list above. Feel free to add new links as well in the comments section.

Posted by email from Mildly Glorious (posterous)

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