As the world's financial markets began to turn down, many leading economists spoke to the BBC about the credit crisis and what it means for global finance.
James K Galbraith talks about his father's interpretation of events leading to what is considered the anniversary of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
Listen
Listen to James K Glabraith (4 mins 38 secs)
Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman gave his take on the situation - and explained how bad things are likely to get:
Listen Listen to Paul Krugman (5 mins 41 secs)
Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, predicts the effect the ongoing crisis will have on trade - the engine of the global economy:
Listen Listen to Pascal Lamy (3 mins 30 secs)
Gillian Tett, Asia expert for London's Financial Times, says governments are being urged to learn the lessons of the Japanese economic collapse in the 1990s:
Listen Listen to Gillian Tett (1 min 40 secs)
Business correspondent Alex Ritson explains the key role that Credit Default Swaps have had in generating financial panic:
Listen Listen to Alex Ritson (1 min 40 secs)
Africa editor Martin Plaut looked at the how the world's poorest continent, Africa, will be affected by the global financial crisis:
Listen Listen to Martin Plaut (9 mins)
Professor Alec Chrystal looks at how the stock market functions - and why we need it:
Read Alec Chrystal on BBCNews.com
And Michael Blastland, author of the book The Tiger That Isn't: Seeing A World Of Numbers, explains how bubbles are made - and why we are always doomed to see them burst:
Read Michael Blastland on BBCNews.com
And you can read the latest thoughts of the BBC's business editor Robert Peston on his blog here:
