Although they are sometimes associated with poor credit risks and hard-to-sell properties, loan brokers can be a big help to people who simply want to save the time and hassle of scouting out different loan packages.

FORBES: Borrow Smart

Relative to earlier vintages, more of these loans carried greater risks beyond weak borrower credit histories including very high initial cumulative loan-to-value ratios and less documentation of borrower income.

NPR: Transcript: Bernanke on Mortgages, Foreclosures