The U.S. Treasury Department plans to recruit private investors to take toxic assets off banks' balance sheets. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the plan is supposed to work.

Millions of Americans are wondering why AIG has paid so much taxpayer money to other banks. One reason is because AIG has had to honor "collateral calls" — demands made by banks on the insurance contracts it's written. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains,

Bankers have been debating bringing back the uptick rule for months, if not years. This week the debate made it to Capitol Hill. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch gives a quick and dirty explanation of what the uptick rule is, and why it could be reinstated to turn the American taxpayer into one of Citigroup's biggest stockholders. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.

Tangible Common Equity used to be an obscure and rarely-used accounting term. Today it's one of the main motivators behind the government's decision to turn the American taxpayer into one of Citigroup's biggest stockholders. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.

A debate is raging in Washington, D.C., about how to deal with America's foreclosure problem. One proposal is to restructure the loans using a tool usually seen in bankruptcy courts: The "cramdown." Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.

As markets have deteriorated, "write-downs" have figured prominently in more and more corporate reports. What are write-downs all about? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.

There's a debate in financial circles over whether banks are unfairly penalized by the requirement that they "mark to market" their holdings. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what that term means.

If you've been following the problems encountered by the banks, you've probably come across the phrase "toxic assets." They've poisoned banks' balance sheets and brought them to the brink of failure. But what is a toxic asset, exactly? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.

Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's latest plan to get the economy moving — and the risk involved.

The practice of short selling has been blamed for the collapse of several major companies' shares during the financial crisis. What is short selling? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.