The credit crisis

The latest
Bush: Credit thaw 'to take awhile'
Seeking to calm fearful investors, President Bush said the steps the government is planning to take are "big enough and bold enough to work."
Buffett says he's buying U.S. stocks: report
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is buying U.S. stocks, he wrote in an opinion column in the New York Times.
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- Boston Fed chief sees end to turmoil
- Consumers' mood suffers record drop in October: survey
- State Street, Bank of America among banks to get $250b
- US bolsters banking system
- Citizens Bank parent to be part of British rescue
- Crisis may lead to low mortgage rates
- Wall St. turmoil spurs an uptick in legal business
- Calls grow for a new model for global trade

Market reaction
Dow falls 733 on economy woes
Investors sold in reaction to a drop in retail sales and a report that said that tight credit markets were hurting businesses. The Dow had its second-largest point loss.
Nations act, markets soar
Stocks rocketed out of the doldrums on Monday, shaking off eight days of losses as officials in the United States and Europe took steps to bolster their banking systems.

Government intervention
State Street, Bank of America among banks to get $250b
Completing a rush of news remaking the banking industry both locally and worldwide, Spain's Banco Santander said it will take over Sovereign in a $1.9 billion deal.
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- Bush signs $700b bailout bill
- Though bailout package is approved, putting it into action may prove hard
- Fed, Congress weigh second stimulus plan
- Bailout has short-term relief for Main Street
- Bailout rejected; new bill vowed
- Bernanke: Recession certain without bailout
- State leaders to discuss economy's impact on state budget
- Bailouts common, but effectiveness debatable
- Can America afford it?
- Lack of government regulation led to Wall Street troubles
- Fed saves insurer with $85b loan
- Congress weighs regulations
- Fed pumps $70b into nation's financial system

Industry shakeout
WaMu is biggest U.S. bank failure
One of the nation's largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc.— has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market.
Wells Fargo agrees to buy Wachovia
Wells Fargo would buy Wachovia in an $15.1 billion all-stock deal. Citigroup, who had planned to buy Wachovia with the help of the FDIC, is demanding that Wells Fargo adhere to the terms of its earlier deal.
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- Morgan Stanley sells $9b stake to Mitsubishi
- Bain to buy part of Lehman in $2b deal
- FBI probing companies at heart of meltdown
- Switch ends era on Wall Street
- 2 mutual fund firms act to halt short sales
- Investment banks change status
- Interests clash in city's finance sector
- Morgan Stanley sells 20% stake
- Interactive graphic Reshaping the financial landscape
- Boston assesses financial fallout

Consumer impact
More couples huddle, haggle over finances
The dinner table is often the site of a fiery financial debate at the Felzani residence in Peabody.
Many trying to convert possessions into cash
Patricia Ohlemiller packed up her telescope recently and headed to a drop-off center for iSold It eBay. She hoped to recoup $150, minus commission, of its original $350 value.
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- Business schools help graduates
- A crash course in credit
- Public angry, anxious
- Taxpayers are bailing out Wall Street, but who will help them?
- A crash course in hand-holding for advisers
- Nonprofits gird for loss of funding
- How will we be affected?
- Time to diversify your portfolio
- Losing sleep over your money market fund?
- Money market funds battered
- Putnam, State Street feel heat on money markets
- DISCUSS Are you worried about your money market fund?
- PHOTOS Troublesome year
- Photos Investment dos and don'ts
- How to cope with seismic shifts in the sector
- Video Local reaction