#20 Planet Money: Not So Toxic?




Planet Money show

Summary: The Fed says it's going to buy over $1 trillion in mortgage backed securities and long term Treasury bonds to help get the struggling economy moving again. Alex Blumberg and David Kestenbaum explain how it's expected to help. We keep hearing about all these toxic assets on bank balance sheets, but we've still got questions. How much is out there and how bad is it, really? Mike Thompson of Standard and Poor's gives us an inside look. Plus: a visit to Detroit.