One thing you don't hear much about the financial collapse due to the subprime mortgage industry is a success story.  I have one:  In 2005 I bought a house.  I was 22 years old.  I had just graduated college and started a job.  I had little credit history.  I had less than $10,000 in savings.  By some miracle, I was approved for a mortgage with the following ridiculously good terms:  30 year, fixed rate for the first 10 years, interest only payments required, no down payment.  This fit my financial situation perfectly, and I was smart enough to make more than just the interest payments.  A few years later, I did a healthy refinance, and loans like that were nowhere to be found.  If the subprime industry didn't exist, there's almost no way I could've bought a house, probably until the industry collapsed. #money