A clear, authoritative guide to the crisis of 2008, its continuing repercussions, and the needed reforms ahead. The U.S. economy lost the first decade of the twenty-first century to an ill-conceived boom and subsequent bust. It is in danger of losing another decade to the stagnation of an incomplete recovery. How did this happen? Read this lucid explanation of the origins and long-term effects of the recent financial crisis, drawn in historical and comparative perspective by two leading political economists. By 2008 the United States had become the biggest international borrower in world history, with more than two-thirds of its $6 trillion federal debt in foreign hands. The proportion of foreign loans to the size of the economy put the United States in league with Mexico, Indonesia, and other third-world debtor nations. The massive inflow of foreign funds financed the booms in housing prices and consumer spending that fueled the economy until the collapse of late 2008. This was the most serious international economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Menzie Chinn and Jeffry Frieden explain the political and economic roots of this crisis as well as its long-term effects. They explore the political strategies behind the Bush administration’s policy of funding massive deficits with foreign borrowing. They show that the crisis was foreseen by many and was avoidable through appropriate policy measures. They examine the continuing impact of our huge debt on the continuing slow recovery from the recession. Lost Decades will long be regarded as the standard account of the crisis and its aftermath.

The Art of Debt Collections is for any one doing debt recovery using the telephone, be it 1st party, a collection agency, a collection attorney it provides a training system directed towards a successful debt recovery solution. Though attorney collection practices, 1st party, agency collection practices and techniques might differ, this book still applies. A useful training tool for every debt collection agency, debt collection attorney, 1st party creditor and any one involved in debt recovery services or debt collection services. The book doesn't offer an all encompassing debt elimination strategy, debt collection solution or debt collection strategy. Instead it is geared towards the individual collector, the one who is actually on the phone in direct contact with the debtor. The book covers the physiological aspect of debt collection, and a step by step method for the collection debt phone call. The Art of Debt Collections is a must read for every debt collector.

The Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints about rogue debt collecting than about any activity besides identity theft. Dramatically and entertainingly, Bad Paper reveals why. It tells the story of Aaron Siegel, a former banking executive, and Brandon Wilson, a former armed robber, who become partners and go in quest of "paper"—the uncollected debts that are sold off by banks for pennies on the dollar. As Aaron and Brandon learn, the world of consumer debt collection is an unregulated shadowland where operators often make unwarranted threats and even collect debts that are not theirs. Introducing an unforgettable cast of strivers and rogues, Jake Halpern chronicles their lives as they manage high-pressure call centers, hunt for paper in Las Vegas casinos, and meet in parked cars to sell the social security numbers and account information of unsuspecting consumers. He also tracks a "package" of debt that is stolen by unscrupulous collectors, leading to a dramatic showdown with guns in a Buffalo corner store. Along the way, he reveals the human cost of a system that compounds the troubles of hardworking Americans and permits banks to ignore their former customers. The result is a vital exposé that is also a bravura feat of storytelling.

First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

About The Editor Judah Freed at HokuHouse.com is an award-winning author and journalist based in Denver,

The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 was given Royal Assent on 19 July 2007. Parts 3-5 of the Act reform bailiff law, which has been anticipated following a sharp increase in the number of personal and commercial insolvencies and record levels of consumer debt. This book provides commentary on reforms introduced by Parts 3-5 of the Act.

This title was first published in 2001. A developing country that is pursuing free market economic policies requires a modern commercial law infrastructure, which enables the emerging economy to have in place properly functioning credit and other financial systems which stimulate domestic and foreign investment. This book provides a comparative analysis of the law and practice of debt recovery in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, demonstrating that a suitable debt-recovery system for a developing economy requires not only good laws and judicial remedies, but also appropriate financial industry practices such as credit and loan supervision policies.