"...Merrill Lynch made its biggest purchases of bad debt ... after the subprime crisis had already become public knowledge."

+ Banks Gone Wild / NY Times

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"Most subprime loans are based on floating interest rates ... many homeowners ... are now facing 30-50% increases in their monthly payments."

"... subprime loans made up as much as 23% of the housing market in 2006. The increasing number of defaults and delinquencies means more than just homeowners in trouble."

+ Subprime Mortgage Market Collapse: A Primer / ERATE

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"When Obama launched his mortgage rescue plan, he promised that it would help 5 million households."

"... President Obama's plan to rescue those facing mortgage foreclosure is a dismal failure."

"Only 19,041 — a paltry 6 percent — were modified ..."

"And of those modified, only 11,200 involved any reduction in the monthly payments!"

"Only 12 percent involved any write-off of interest, fees, or principal, and 27 percent of the loan modifications actually increased the monthly payments due."

+ Obama's Mortgage Rescue Plan Fails Miserably / Newsmax

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"But with the foreclosure rate hitting a new record in the third quarter, the government's ability to put a meaningful dent in the tally of housing-crisis victims faces renewed skepticism."

+ Why Obama's Housing Rescue Hasn't Prevented Record Foreclosures / US News

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So...--drastically hike-up sub-prime rates, pull the rug out from beneath people's feet, and drive yourself right out of business--WHAT'S THE DEAL???