Bagehot advised the Bank of England to lend freely to illiquid but solvent banks against good collateral, at a penal rate.

ECONOMIST: Central banks have played a starring role

Another approach has been to borrow from the American model, parcelling out the good bits of failing banks to solvent rivals and keeping the rest.

ECONOMIST: Global banks

But a positive and proactive public response to our upcoming retirement crisis would also acknowledge that many who retire do so not by choice but by circumstance, and understand that to rely on the kindness of employers and the good health fairies to keep elderly Americans fiscally solvent is folly indeed.

FORBES: Can We Really Delay Retirement?

Compared to Medicare, Social Security is actually in reasonably good shape, and with some relatively small adjustments, you can have that solvent for a long time.

WHITEHOUSE: "White House to Main Street" Town Hall: Elyria, OH