Financial Crisis

• What were the key factors that led to the financial crisis of 2008?
• What role did the federal government play (or didnt play) in the cause of and the resolution to the crisis?
• How does the financial system look today versus the lead up to the financial crisis? i.e. what happened to investment banks? Are there other/newer financial institutions filling the gap left by the fall of large financial institutions?
• Finally, understanding the causes and players that contributed to the financial crisis of 2008, do we see similar trends/patterns today and are there signs of a pending financial crisis around the corner?
• Please site the sources of your information.