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Capital Markets 101: The Revolution in Housing Finance featuring Bethany McLean

Held Friday, May 11, 2012

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WHAT: Capital Markets 101: The Revolution in Housing Finance

WHEN: 11:30am-1:00pm, Friday, May 11, 2012

WHERE: Room 210-12, Senate Visitor Center

DETAILS: Can’t make it to Harvard, Haas or Kellogg for a quick primer on the basics of global finance and capital markets? Third Way is bringing them to you. We’ve launched Capitol Hill’s first pop-up business school featuring the most knowledgeable and interesting experts on financial markets.

Following our previous sessions with Mark Zandi, Sheila Bair and Paul Volcker – on May 11th, Third Way hosted Bethany McLean, contributing editor to Vanity Fair and author of All the Devils are Here, which has been called a “must read” by NPR Planet Money. Ms. McLean also authored the definitive book on the Enron scandal, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

Ms. McLean told the story of the revolution in housing finance and how it contributed to the financial crisis of 2008. Using the fascinating events and characters from her book All the Devils are Here, Ms. McLean broke down the complex topic of housing finance. In addition, she discussed the lessons of the financial crisis, the implications for housing policy, and the regulation of the capital markets going forward.

Future speakers in our series include:

  • David Wessel, economic editor at The Wall Street Journal and author of In Fed We Trust, described as "a hair-raising tale of the race to stave off a depression” by The New York Times Book Review.