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Big bets on an obscure index lay at the heart of JPMorgan's losses this week. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains how an index of CDS works.

Surely you've heard the term assets -- they can be toxic, liquid, or tangible. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what the word “assets” really means.

In our weekly letters segment, CBS MoneyWatch Editor-at-Large Jill Schlesinger discusses retirement investing strategies for late-starters.

Seventeen banks have failed so far this year, but their customers can rest easy -- thanks to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains.

Shadow banking has grown since the financial crisis. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch casts a light on the system and explains why it's so dangerous.

Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the responsibilities of a fiduciary with a taxi metaphor.

Lawmakers are considering yet another bill to ban insider trading. But the term "insider trading" seems open to interpretation. Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch helps us understand what it is and why it's a big deal.

Prop trading, as it’s called on Wall Street, is the target of the Volcker Rule, a centerpiece of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act. Marketplace’s Paddy Hirsch explains what proprietary trading is, and why it’s potentially dangerous for our savings and the financial system.

So Facebook has filed to go public. How exactly does an initial public offering work? Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains.

Learn the difference between secured and unsecured debt -- a lesson that Irish taxpayers could use as they face the prospect of footing the bill for the bailout of state-owned Anglo Irish Bank.