How 'Toxic Assets' Are Like Bad Apples

The term "toxic assets" has now joined such historic terms of villainy as Watergate, junk bonds and Ponzi scheme. They've brought the nation's banking system -- and the economy -- to the brink of collapse. As the Treasury Department prepares to move forward with its plan to buy as much as $1 trillion in so-called "toxic assets" from the financial industry, it's important to understand just what toxic assets are. Toxic Assets, Defined Imagine the bank as a fruit stand. It sells oranges,...Full Story