Although the Federal Reserve kept interest rates low for a protracted period, the corporate sector did not increase its investment. The recovery was ultimately fueled by so-called “subprime” mortgages: home-purchase loans extended to borrowers with lower credit ratings.
这一问题在2001年经济衰退后开始在美国浮现。虽然美联储宣布较长时间维持低利率，但企业部门并未增加投资。复苏最终是由所谓“次级贷”贷款所推动：也就是向信用评级较低的借款人发放住宅贷款。其结果，如我们所见，正是这一巨型泡沫引发了2008年的金融危机。