Mortgage Credit

In the midst of one of the most serious financial upheavals since the Great Depression, George Soros writes about the origins of the crisis and proposes a set of policies that should be adopted to confront it. Soros places the current crisis in the context of his decades of study of how individuals and institutions handle the boom and bust cycles that now dominate global economic activity.

Soros makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the great credit crisis and its implications for our nation and the world.

In the summer of 2007, the subprime empire that Wall Street had built all came crashing down. On average, 50 lenders a month were going bust - and the people responsible for the crisis included not just unregulated loan brokers and con artists, but also investment bankers and home loan institutions traditionally perceived as completely trustworthy.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis was only the beginning: a more profound economic and political restructuring was on the way. The astronomical leverage at investment banks with their hedge fund and private equity clients virtually guaranteed massive disruption in global markets. A quarter century of free-market zealotry that extolled asset stripping, abusive lending, and hedge fund secrecy came crashing down with it. Continued denial and concealment caused the crisis to stretch out for years, but financial and government leaders still downplayed the problem.

Get rid of your debts, transform your finances, and use the money that’s been freed up to build your wealth. You’re about to see simple ways to get rid of the bad debts that are ruining your cash flow.

Whatever your credit score, the number is critical. It's how banks, credit unions and even property management companies decide if you're creditworthy or not. Your past credit history is nearly 40 percent of your overall score. If it's negative and your credit score is on the south side of 610, it can be a formidable obstacle to hurdle and put a serious "dent" in your personal lifestyle.

You should read this if: You are tired of renting and not having anything to show for it other than a roof over your head. You are finding it hard to afford the rent you are paying, which is consistently going up, but think you are unable to qualify for or afford your own home. You are looking for another source of income but seem never to have enough hours in the day for another “side hustle”. You want to live in a better area of town but think you can’t afford to move.

Maxed Out exposes the recent history and culture of debt for all of its absurdities and contradictions. The world's largest financial institutions are trolling for customers - from the nouveau riche to the poorest members of society, who counter-intuitively make for the largest profits. By turns hilarious, fascinating, and deeply disturbing, Maxed Out is ultimately one observer's answer to the question, "Why can't we get out of debt?"