Moving Forward from the Credit Crisis
On Monday, September 15, 2008, the country awoke to news that three of the nation’s largest financial institutions were unable to survive without help. Merrill Lynch found a buyout partner in Bank of America. AIG was able to secure funding from federal sources. Lehman Brothers, however, was unable to secure a lifeline and the firm filed for bankruptcy, the largest in history and a major spark that set off the global financial crisis. In a matter of days, the nation’s financial structure had changed. By now, this story is painfully familiar to most investors, who watched portfolios and retirement account…