Some credit markets have already seized up, including auction-rate securities, which hurt municipalities. Large banks are also getting skittish. The spreads on junk bonds and even better-rated corporate bonds are widening. This raises costs for businesses.
Great Depression 2.0: Tracing the Meltdown
The housing bubble burst. Wall Street collapsed. Now the aftershocks are radiating throughout Main Street. TIME explores how this initially insular financial crisis went national.