Why aren't banks lending?

On the next Your Call, we continue with our Agenda for a New Economy series by looking at why financial institutions are clamping down on lending. In 2009 lending contracted 7.4%. Why are individuals and businesses still having a hard time borrowing? Join us live at 11 or send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. How is the continuing home foreclosure crisis affecting people who'd like to get loans now? And who has the power to make the banks loosen their purse strings? That's on Monday's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar.

Guests:
Liz Ryan Murray, senior policy analyst at National People's Action and co-author of the report "Gaming the System."

Rob Larson, Assistant Prof. of Economics at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana

Click to Listen: Why aren't banks lending?

Your Call 080309 What role has the Federal Reserve Bank played in the financial crisis?

What role has the Federal Reserve Bank played in the financial crisis? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the Federal Reserve Bank. Its power to raise and lower interest rates has made it more influential over economic growth than any other government entity. So why does President Obama want to give it even more power? Send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 a.m. How has its role in our economy changed since its establishment in 1913? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Nomi Prins, a senior fellow at Demos, a nonpartisan public policy think-tank and author of the forthcoming book It Takes a Pillage: Behind the Bailouts, Bonuses and Backroom Deals from Washington to Wall Street

Ellen Brown, an attorney practicing civil litigation in Los Angeles and author of "Web of Debt"

Click to Listen: What role has the Federal Reserve Bank played in the financial crisis?