Fallout: The Financial Crisis

Life insurance companies are major players in the financial system, and many invested in some of the same toxic mortgage-backed assets that got the banks in trouble. But Steve Henn reports government aid will soon be on its way.

Kai Ryssdal reviews listener reaction to an April Fool's Day story and commentaries about auto unions and President Obama's stimulus.

As demand for shipped goods falls, ships are left with no cargo. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Chris Sjodoff, vice president of a shipping services company, about how he takes care of his unused ships.

The Department of Defense's budget is being trimmed, and many of the cuts are happening in the aviation field. But the people who help make planes are fighting back. Mitchell Hartman reports.

There is confusion about where we are in the business cycle. While there are signs the credit markets may be thawing, corporate CEOs are feeling gloomy. What do the mixed signals tell us? Amy Scott reports.

The IMF expected $2.2 trillion in bad debt from banks back in January for the end of next year. Now, the fund says that figure could double. Stephen Beard reports pressure is on governments to deal with the global debt.

Paying bonuses to bailed-out bank executives upset a lot of taxpayers who were footing the bill. Dan Ariely tells Kai Ryssdal how these big bonuses are actually counterproductive.

Watching the stock market can be hard sometimes. Commentator Paul Hellman says to cope with the ups and downs, all you have to do is change your outlook.

The Treasury Department is extending the deadline for fund managers to invest in unloading bad assets from the banks' balance sheets and easing its selection criteria. As Amy Scott reports, the Treasury really needs private investors to hop on board.

On the brink of financial collapse last year, Iceland is now trying to recover and its citizens are embracing a culture of conservative spending. Stephen Beard reports.