Ghiyath Nakshbendi of American University in Washington notes that the problems are linked to a worldwide collapse in real estate prices.

VOA: special.2009.12.04

Answering a yearning for reward without risk, investment banks are rebaking a 17-year-old idea called equity-linked notes.

FORBES: Another Option

Back in December, the risk in such Apple-linked notes became apparent, according to Kevin Dugan of Bloomberg.

FORBES: Falling Apple's Price Causes Collateral Damage

When the credit-linked notes turned sour following the 2008 financial crisis, Hong Leong claims it lost tens of millions of dollars and suffered damage to its reputation with clients.

BBC: Morgan Stanley sued over a product 'designed to fail'