How did this happen?

Some of the largest businesses in the world made terrible investments. Lenders relaxed credit standards to give loans that were unlikely to be repaid. Many individuals got themselves into houses they couldn’t afford with shaky mortgages.

Regular Americans don’t have much control over any of these people or companies, but we do have control over who represents us in government. Politicians created the conditions that led to the Wall Street meltdown:

• The Federal Reserve's Easy Money
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
• Hastily-designed Accounting Rules
• Harmful Lending Mandates
• “Dirty” Tax Code:

Learn about the causes of the crisis and hold Congress accountable.