"This American Life broadcast an especially clear explanation of where the money is (was), how the increase in money led to an increased demand for more mortgages and the ridiculous loosening of lending criteriam and how mortgage backed securities got out of hand and precipitated the global financial melt down.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=355

This may not be the most appropriate thread to which to post this, but there are so many related threads, I really can't sort them out.