Reliance on Cards

Margin trading is regulated by the Federal Reserve, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and securities exchanges, and many brokerage firms have margin requirements that are stricter than what regulators require. The loans are generally made by securities firms to investors and use financial assets such as stocks and bonds as collateral.

Read more »

Investors to shift focus from Europe to earnings - Business - Stocks & economy

Investors tiring of the euro zone's debt crisis dragging the market all over the place are hoping to focus on something else this week — earnings. But will third-quarter results be enough to drive the S&P 500 higher? Or will Europe's woes get in the way?

Read more »

European crisis could hurt US economy

'A severe crisis in Europe could cause significant damage by undermining confidence'
The Obama administration is urging European leaders to deal more forcefully with a debt crisis that could significantly damage the U.S. and global economy.

Read more »