Stock FAQs

what really triggered the 2008 stock market crash

by Mr. Edmond Langworth DDS Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The stock market crash of 2008 was a result of defaults on consolidated mortgage-backed securities. Subprime housing loans comprised most MBS. Banks offered these loans to almost everyone, even those who weren't creditworthy. When the housing market fell, many homeowners defaulted on their loans.

Full Answer

What is the worst stock market crash?

The worst stock market crash in history started in 1929 and was one of the catalysts of the Great Depression. The crash abruptly ended a period known as the Roaring Twenties, during which the economy expanded significantly and the stock market boomed.

When was the last market crash?

Though the market was ’saved’ from a disastrous month during the last two trading days in January 2022, the results were nonetheless atrocious. Market crashes don’t necessarily have to happen in a day, week, or month. After the mid-month holiday ...

When will the stock market collapse?

“Stocks are on their last legs,” he declares, predicting that the market will plummet 80%. Indeed, in the first two to three months of 2022, it will drop more than 50%, Dent, a Harvard Business School MBA, foresees. The essential problem, he says, is that “the market bubble is expanding; the economy is slowing rapidly.”

Is stock market going to collapse?

The biggest stock market crash of our lifetime will be in 2022. You’ve got to protect your money to take advantage of the sale that’s coming when stocks go down 80%, or else you won’t have money to...

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Why did the mortgage salesmen make these deals without investigating a borrower's fitness or a property's

The salesmen could make these deals without investigating a borrower's fitness or a property's value because the lenders they represented had no intention of keeping the loans. Lenders would sell these mortgages onward; bankers would bundle them into securities and peddle them to institutional investors eager for the returns the American housing market had yielded so consistently since the 1930s. The ultimate mortgage owners would often be thousands of miles away and unaware of what they had bought. They knew only that the rating agencies said it was as safe as houses always had been, at least since the Depression.

What did Jim Bunning call the bailouts?

Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky called the bailouts "a calamity for our free-market system" and, essentially, "socialism"—albeit the sort of socialism that favored Wall Street, rather than workers. Earlier in the year, Paulson had identified Lehman as a potential problem and spoke privately to its chief executive, Richard Fuld.

What did the Glass-Steagall Act do?

the Glass-Steagall Act ), they separated these newly secure institutions from the investment banks that engaged in riskier financial endeavors.

What was the financial environment like in the early 21st century?

The financial environment of the early 21st century looked more like the United States before the Depression than after: a country on the brink of a crash. pinterest-pin-it. An employee of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. carrying a box out of the company's headquarters after it filed for bankruptcy.

What was the financial crisis of 2008?

The 2008 financial crisis had its origins in the housing market, for generations the symbolic cornerstone of American prosperity. Federal policy conspicuously supported the American dream of homeownership since at least the 1930s, when the U.S. government began to back the mortgage market. It went further after WWII, offering veterans cheap home loans through the G.I. Bill. Policymakers reasoned they could avoid a return to prewar slump conditions so long as the undeveloped lands around cities could fill up with new houses, and the new houses with new appliances, and the new driveways with new cars. All this new buying meant new jobs, and security for generations to come.

When did Paulson say the government would not rescue Lehman?

By the weekend of September 13-14, 2008, Lehman was clearly finished, with perhaps tens of billions of dollars in overvalued assets on its balance sheets.

What was the only institution the bankers trusted?

After decades of trying to push the U.S. government out of banking, it turned out that in the end, the U.S. government was the only institution the bankers trusted.

What is a mortgage backed security?

A mortgage-backed security is a financial product whose price is based on the value of the mortgages that are used for collateral. Once you get a mortgage from a bank, it sells it to a hedge fund on the secondary market. 6 . The hedge fund then bundles your mortgage with a lot of other similar mortgages.

How does securitization work?

How did securitization work? First, hedge funds and others sold mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and other derivatives. A mortgage-backed security is a financial product whose price is based on the value of the mortgages that are used for collateral. Once you get a mortgage from a bank, it sells it to a hedge fund on the secondary market. 6 

What caused the financial crisis?

The financial crisis was primarily caused by deregulation in the financial industry. That permitted banks to engage in hedge fund trading with derivatives. Banks then demanded more mortgages to support the profitable sale of these derivatives. They created interest-only loans that became affordable to subprime borrowers.

What did Enron argue about foreign derivatives?

Enron argued that foreign derivatives exchanges were giving overseas firms an unfair competitive advantage. 5 . Big banks had the resources to become sophisticated at the use of these complicated derivatives. The banks with the most complicated financial products made the most money.

Why were adjustable rate mortgages cheaper?

The payments were cheaper because their interest rates were based on short-term Treasury bill yields, which are based on the fed funds rate. But, that lowered banks' incomes, which are based on loan interest rates. 13 .

Why did housing prices fall in 2007?

Housing prices started falling in 2007 as supply outpaced demand. That trapped homeowners who couldn't afford the payments, but couldn't sell their house. When the values of the derivatives crumbled, banks stopped lending to each other. That created the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession .

What was the Fed's rate in 2001?

In December 2001, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan lowered the fed funds rate to 1.75%. 11  The Fed lowered it again in November 2002 to 1.25%. 12 . That also lowered interest rates on adjustable-rate mortgages.

Reasons For the 2008 Financial Crisis

The US stock market collapse was tied to the collapse of major financial institutions, including Lehman Brothers and the government bailout of AIG (so it wouldn’t collapse). Financial institutions were in trouble because of over-exposure to declining housing prices.

Lessons From the 2008 Stock Crash

Similar to the 1929 crash and 2000 crash, it takes years for stocks to fully recover from a major meltdown. On the flip side, for those who have the resources to buy when prices start to recover after a crash, there are sizable gains to be had.

Read Up On Some Other Stock Market Crashes

1987 Crash – The 1987 stock market crash refers to the selloff that occurred on “Black Monday,” October 19. It was the largest single-day decline in the history of the US stock market–the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost 22.6%.

What caused the stock market crash of 2008?

The stock market crash of 2008 was as a result of defaults on consolidated mortgage-backed securities. Subprime housing loans comprised most MBS. Banks offered these loans to almost everyone, even those who weren’t creditworthy. When the housing market fell, many homeowners defaulted on their loans.

What are the 3 main causes of the stock market crash?

By then, production had already declined and unemployment had risen, leaving stocks in great excess of their real value. Among the other causes of the stock market crash of 1929 were low wages, the proliferation of debt, a struggling agricultural sector and an excess of large bank loans that could not be liquidated.

What caused the Wall Street stock market crash?

The 1929 stock market crash was a result of an unsustainable boom in share prices in the preceding years. The boom in share prices was caused by the irrational exuberance of investors, buying shares on the margin, and over-confidence in the sustainability of economic growth.

Will the stock market recover in 2020?

As seen here, the market experiences small ups and downs almost constantly. But overall, there has been a strong upward trend over the years — even after the major market downturns in 2008 and earlier in 2020. If the market crashes again, it’s extremely likely it will recover.

Do you lose all your money if the stock market crashes?

Yes, a company can lose all its value and have that be reflected in its stock price. (Major indexes, like the New York Stock Exchange, will actually de-list stocks that drop below a certain price.) It can even file for bankruptcy. Shareholders can lose their entire investment in such unfortunate situations.

Should I buy stocks now or wait?

The data suggests that it is better to invest in stocks now than wait for a drop — or for the perfect entry point. Stock market returns are higher than the alternatives due to the risk of loss. Over short periods of time, markets can and do decline. Long-term investors have enjoyed growing returns in the stock market.

Where should I invest if the stock market crashes?

If you think a crash is likely to occur, you might want to look into some of them.TIPS. You can buy Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities from the U.S. Treasury or from a bank or broker to provide you with some protection against inflation. Precious Metals. Foreign Currency. Savings Accounts. Read More:

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2007

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The Dow opened the year at 12,474.52.2 It rose despite growing concerns about the subprime mortgage crisis. On December 19, 2006, the U.S. Department of Commerce warned that October's new home permits were 28% fewer than the year before.4 But economists didn't think the housing slowdown would affect the rest …
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2008

  • At the end of January, the BEA revised its fourth-quarter 2007 GDP growth estimate down.9 It said growth was only 0.6%. The economy lost 17,000 jobs, the first time since 2004.10 The Dow shrugged off the news and hovered between 12,000 and 13,000 until March.2 On March 17, the Federal Reserve intervened to save the failing investment bank, Bear Stearns. The Dow dropped …
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September 2008

  • The month started with chilling news. On Monday, September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy. The Dow dropped more than 200 points.2 On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, the Fed announced it was bailing out insurance giant American International Group Inc. It made an $85 billion loan in return for 79.9% equity, effectively taking ownership. AIG had run out of cash. It wa…
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October 2008

  • Congress finally passed the bailout bill in early October, but the damage had already been done.24 The Labor Department reported that the economy had lost a whopping 159,000 jobs in the prior month.25 On Monday, October 6, 2008, the Dow dropped by 800 points, closing below 10,000 for the first time since 2004.26 The Fed tried to prop up banks by lending $540 billion to money mar…
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November 2008

  • The month began with more bad news. The Labor Department reported that the economy had lost a staggering 240,000 jobs in October.34 The AIG bailout grew to $150 billion.35 The Bush administration announced it was using part of the $700 billion bailouts to buy preferred stocks in the nations' banks.36 The Big Three automakers asked for a federal bailout. By November 20, 20…
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December 2008

  • The Fed dropped the fed funds rate to 0%, its lowest level in history.29 The Dow ended the year at a sickening 8,776.39, down almost 34% for the year.2
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2009

  • On January 2, 2009, the Dow climbed to 9,034.69.2 Investors believed the new Obama administration could tackle the recession with its team of economic advisers. But the bad economic news continued. On March 5, 2009, the Dow plummeted to its bottom of 6,594.44.37 Soon afterward, President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan instilled the confidence nee…
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Aftermath

  • Investors bore the emotional scars from the crash for the next four years. On June 1, 2012, they panicked over a poor May jobs report and the eurozone debt crisis. The Dow dropped 275 points.39 The 10-year benchmark Treasury yield dropped to 1.47.40 This yield was the lowest rate in more than 200 years.41It signaled that the confidence that evaporated during 2008 had not q…
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Deregulation

Securitization

  • How did securitization work? First, hedge funds and others sold mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and other derivatives. A mortgage-backed security is a financial product whose price is based on the value of the mortgages that are used for collateral. Once you get a mortgage from a bank, the bank sells the loan on the secondary market.5 The hedge fund t…
See more on thebalance.com

The Growth of Subprime Mortgages

  • In 1989, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) increased enforcement of the Community Reinvestment Act. This Act sought to eliminate bank “redlining” of poor neighborhoods.8 That practice had contributed to the growth of ghettos in the 1970s. Regulators now publicly ranked banks as to how well they “greenlined” neighborhoods.9 Fannie …
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The Fed Raised Rates on Subprime Borrowers

  • Banks hit hard by the 2001 recession welcomed the new derivative products. In December 2001, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan lowered the fed funds rate to 1.75%.10 The Fed lowered it again in November 2002 to 1.25%.11 That also lowered interest rates on adjustable-rate mortgages. The payments were cheaper because their interest rates were based on short-term …
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The Bottom Line

  • Deregulation in the financial industry was the primary cause of the 2008 financial crash. It allowed speculation on derivatives backed by cheap, wantonly-issued mortgages, available to even those with questionable creditworthiness. Rising property values and easy mortgages attracted a lot of people to avail of home loans. This created the housing m...
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