Did you know that buying a credit default swap can be like buying insurance on your neighbor’s car—and then getting paid when that neighbor has an accident? Learn the ABCs of CDS, and find out why they are so important to any discussion of the European debt crisis.

To those who don't know, the term "shadow banking" probably has a negative connotation. This primer draws parallels between what has been termed the shadow banking sector and the traditional banking sector—showing that they are similar in many ways.

Increasingly, emerging markets are becoming a source of growth in the global economy. For example, foreign direct investment both into and out of these countries has shown a phenomenal increase since 2000.

On a national level, the number of vacant homes is declining, as is the percentage of mortgages in serious delinquency. However, the demand for housing hasn't picked up, nor have prices.

At least early in the financial crisis, the high rate of foreclosures seemed to be due more to households' overreaching than to predatory lending. A disproportionate number of those being foreclosed on were well-educated, well-off and relatively young people.

As in most crises, investors turned to Treasuries in droves over the past couple of years, even as yields declined.

Also titled as "Mortgage Boom and Bust Affected Different Age Groups Differently" in PDF format.

The financial crisis and ensuing recession took a toll on just about everybody’s household wealth. Not surprisingly, the pain wasn’t evenly distributed. Those groups that are usually the most vulnerable in our society—young and middle-aged minority households—suffered the most,...