'A Disaster on Our Hands'
HOME OWNERSHIP AND ACCESS TO CREDIT are vital to the U.S. economy, which is why today's slumping housing market and restrictions on credit are creating difficulities for the entire economy. In this lead Cover Story, we visit with the Montes family of Fullerton, California, who bought a half-a-million-dollar house with no money down. Now, with housing values stagnating, they're staring at the prospect of a huge increase in their mortgage payments, and they're just not ready for it. Says Mr. Montes: "We have a disaster on our hands." READ THE ARTICLE

Subprime Time
HOW DID THIS MORTGAGE MESS happen? And why is it such a big deal? We answer those questions in a behind-the-scenes look at the subprime market, and how it connects to other parts of the economy. READ THE ARTICLE

There Goes the Neighborhood
WE ALSO LOOK at the impact of subprime lending can have on a particular community. In one middle-class community in Detroit, we find that subprime loans are helping to force families out of homes in which they've lived for years. That's putting an entire neighborhood at risk. READ THE ARTICLE

Loan, Sweet Loan
HOW CAN YOU STAY OUT OF TROUBLE with a home loan? Start by understanding the basics of how mortgages work, and how to determine how much home you can afford. This Personal Finance article, adapted from The Wall Street Journal's Complete Personal Finance Guidebook, will help you. READ THE ARTICLE

ON CAMPUS
Into the Unknown
After a few days as a college freshman--and several meet-and-greets--Emma Slayton offers tips on how to find opportunities to meet people. READ THE ARTICLE

CAREERS
Stay-at-Home Job Interview
How would you feel about a job interview conducted in cyberspace? Some employers are experimenting with using Second Life, an online virtual world, to screen prospective employees and conduct job interviews. LOGIN REQUIRED

The Psychology of Spending Too Much: Did you ever buy a luxury-brand product that seemed like a bargain, only to realize later that you paid far too much? There's a reason for that. In our Marketing feature, we learn about a common strategy used by luxury brands to change people's perceptions about prices. LOGIN REQUIRED

Cheap Skates :
Brand names are also the subject of this month's Sports feature, specifically brand-name skateboards and skateboarding equipment. It turns out that some of the most avid boarders don't bother with the high-priced branded equipment that the big companies are pushing. That presents these companies with a unique marketing challenge. LOGIN REQUIRED

On Target: In this month's Interview section, we talk with three top executives of Target, who explain how the retailer manages to distinguish itself from other discount retailers. LOGIN REQUIRED

HOT TOPIC: Three Leagues Under a Cloud: Barry Bonds, Pacman Jones, Tim Donaghy, Michael Vick ... The major sports leagues are operating under a dark cloud this fall. What are the effects of all this negative attention on the leagues and their sponsors? What needs to be done? LOGIN REQUIRED