MARKET MAYHEM MAY LEAVE THE UK WITH A NASTY COLD.

SO what is all the fuss about in the financial markets? After all, the global economy is in great shape, or at least it has been. But that is part of the problem. The markets, as they are prone to do, got carried away with the idea that the good times would roll forever. We are witnessing the painful realisation that some asset prices were pushed too high. The turmoil stemmed from sub-prime mortgages in the US. This is a classic case of over confidence and, yes, greed. Essentially people who could not afford houses were given low cost loans with little or no deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]