Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset

Planet Money
Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset

Support to listen sponsor-free + bonus episodes

$3.99/mo or $35.99/yr after trial

Remember toxic assets? Those complicated mortgage bonds that almost brought down the financial system? We bought one to figure out how the 2008 housing crisis played out. We called it Toxie. (This series originally ran in 2010-2011.)Subscribe to Planet Money+ now to get access and get sponsor-free listening to Planet Money.

Episodes

  1. Toxie, R.I.P.

    FEB 14 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    Toxie, R.I.P.

    We are gathered here to day to commemorate the passing of Toxie, Planet Money's toxic asset.

    22 min
  2. The Origin Of Toxie

    FEB 14 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    The Origin Of Toxie

    We talk to a woman who bought a house during the boom — and whose mortgage wound up in our toxic asset. Can you ever spot a bubble before it bursts?

    17 min
  3. Toxie's Dark Past

    FEB 14 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    Toxie's Dark Past

    A home inside Toxie, our toxic asset, is part of a $200 million mortgage scheme.

    18 min
  4. Toxie's In A Coma

    FEB 14 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    Toxie's In A Coma

    We bought her for $1,000 early this year. The mortgages she's made of were going sour at an alarming rate. When enough of the mortgages went bad, she would die. On today's Planet Money: Toxie — Planet Money's mortgage-backed toxic asset — is in a coma.

    20 min
  5. When An Asset Turns Toxic, Who You Gonna Sue?

    FEB 14 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    When An Asset Turns Toxic, Who You Gonna Sue?

    An toxic asset — very much like our own Toxie — goes bad. And a New Jersey carpenters' union fund that bought a piece of the asset tries to figure out if there's someone to blame.

    26 min
  6. Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset

    FEB 10

    Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset

    Remember toxic assets? Those complicated mortgage bonds that almost brought down the financial system? We bought one to figure out how the 2008 housing crisis played out. We called her Toxie. These episodes take you through Toxie's complicated and surprising life. Subscribe to Planet Money+ now to get access and get sponsor-free listening to Planet Money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    1 min
  7. Toxie's Back!

    09/20/2011 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    Toxie's Back!

    Planet Money's pet toxic asset, died last year. But we learned recently that she may rise from the grave.

    19 min
  8. We Take Toxie On The Road

    07/23/2010 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    We Take Toxie On The Road

    We go on the road to Florida to learn more about the people behind Toxie, Planet Money's toxic asset.

    23 min
  9. We Bought A Toxic Asset!

    03/09/2010 • PLANET MONEY+ ONLY

    We Bought A Toxic Asset!

    Remember toxic assets? Those insanely complicated bonds that almost brought down the financial system?We bought one.We thought it would help us figure out how the housing bust is playing out. So we pooled our own money, about $1,000 in total. We sent David and Chana out to Kansas City, where a former Wall Street guy named Wit Solberg who evaluates toxic assets for his clients and sometimes buys the assets himself.Wit sold them a sliver of a toxic asset he'd bought for $36,000. It was marked down from the pre-crash price of $2.7 million.

    31 min

Trailer

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world.Wanna go deeper? Subscribe to Planet Money+ and get sponsor-free episodes of Planet Money, The Indicator, and Planet Money Summer School. Plus access to bonus content. It's a new way to support the show you love. Learn more at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

    • 4.6 (29159)
    • BUSINESS

  • A little show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening today. It's a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and everything else. Listen weekday afternoons.Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

    • 4.6 (9064)
    • BUSINESS

  • Economics is a game you should know how to play. And once you get the fundamental concepts, you start to see it everywhere: the news, the supermarket and even your dating life. So it's time to learn the rules. Planet Money Summer School is a crash course in economics for your ears. See the world through the lens of an economist and you'll start to feel a little less overwhelmed when making financial decisions. And if you're in front of the classroom? Teachers, this is made for you, too. Let us be your breezy and fun companion to assigned readings. We'll even assign the homework (and spare you the groans). Go beyond summer school and stay up-to-date on the economy with the latest episodes of the Planet Money podcast.Got money on your mind? Try Planet Money+ — a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. A subscription also gets you access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions.

    • 4.6 (167)
    • EDUCATION

  • Gold has been used as money for thousands of years. Why gold? We bought and sold some to find out. Along the way, we look at the gold standard and learn a lot about (economic) bubbles. (This series originally ran in 2010-2011.)

    • 0.0 (0)
    • BUSINESS

  • We kept hearing how a ton of wealth is stored in offshore tax havens. How does this secret, shady world work? We set up not one, but two shell companies to find out. Turns out it's pretty easy? (This series originally ran in 2012.)

    • 0.0 (0)
    • BUSINESS

Support to listen sponsor-free + bonus episodes

$3.99/mo or $35.99/yr after trial

View Subscription FAQs

About

Remember toxic assets? Those complicated mortgage bonds that almost brought down the financial system? We bought one to figure out how the 2008 housing crisis played out. We called it Toxie. (This series originally ran in 2010-2011.)Subscribe to Planet Money+ now to get access and get sponsor-free listening to Planet Money.

Information

More From Planet Money

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada