He stood up well, didn't back away from it, but had to fall back on simply denying that many people would pay more.

BBC: Romney takes all in Las Vegas?

Students head back to campus this fall facing greater challenges to pay for college expenses due to tuition hikes as well as scarcer financial resources.

FORBES: Remember when college only cost $96,000?

If prices fall low enough, farmers don't have to pay back the loans.

CNN: By GEORGE ANTHAN/DES MOINES REGISTER

The group also found that more than a quarter of people who pay a mortgage or rent had no savings to fall back on if they lost their job.

BBC: Alarm bells ring for house buyers

Adding to the complexity is the need for both Fannie and Freddie to insure their portfolios against interest-rate risk in particular, the danger that borrowers may pay back their loans early, if interest rates fall, leaving the companies with money to reinvest at a lower rate.

ECONOMIST: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac