Investors fear the long-term costs for cleanup,recovery and fines.

VOA: special.2010.06.04

So, recovery of unpaid taxes, fines and general bills, is very difficult.

BBC: Spain budget: Corruption, apathy and anger

The boss of one of the world's biggest banks told me over the weekend that the greatest threat to the recovery of his bank and of the British economy - in his view - is the ever rising burden of fines and compensation faced by all banks for their sloppy, reckless and rule-breaking ways in the boom years.

BBC: Are some banks too big to jail?