APM: Marketplace Whiteboard

Spain's debt costs are rising and some fear the nation may soon need a full-scale bailout. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the big problem with Spain, using a housing analogy.

A bank run occurs when customers run down to the bank and demand their money back. So, why can't the bank just return the cash? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains using a human heart analogy.

Big bets on an obscure index lay at the heart of JPMorgan's losses this week. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains how an index of CDS works.

Surely you've heard the term assets -- they can be toxic, liquid, or tangible. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what the word “assets” really means.

Seventeen banks have failed so far this year, but their customers can rest easy -- thanks to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains.

Shadow banking has grown since the financial crisis. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch casts a light on the system and explains why it's so dangerous.

Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the responsibilities of a fiduciary with a taxi metaphor.

Lawmakers are considering yet another bill to ban insider trading. But the term "insider trading" seems open to interpretation. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch helps us understand what it is and why it's a big deal.

Private equity funds are groups of investors that flip companies for a profit. It’s the technique they use that makes them special, as senior producer Paddy Hirsch explains.

Junk. Not a nice word. And when it comes to bonds, not a particularly accurate word, either. Junk is something useless, right? Well, "junk" bonds are definitely not useless. In fact they're extremely useful. Sometimes. Marketplace Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what a junk bond really is.