Financial Crisis 101

Money expert Suze Orman says we should blame the banks for this financial meltdown. "I refuse to believe that it started with [regular people]," she says. "It was the banks and their greed and their deceit of them wanting to make money and giving loans to people when they should have said, 'I'm so sorry,' like they did years ago. ... But instead they said, 'Here you go, little one, take a mortgage.'"

To survive this financial crisis, Suze says we need to stay calm—do not panic by withdrawing your life savings or selling your 401(k) plan. "Don't make mistakes, people," she says. "Just stay calm and understand, as Ali said, 'We're going to get through this.' But only if you make the right decisions for you. You cannot control what others are doing out there, but you most certainly can control your own actions."