[영문]Unless you've been traveling through another solar system, you undoubtedly have heard about the recent crises in U.S. financial markets. Prompted by a wave of defaults on what turned out to be highly speculative subprime mortgages, and reinforced by the plunge in housing prices, accelerating rise in the price of oil, and competition from the global economy, financial markets reeled with potentially devastating consequences for U.S. lending institutions and their international financial partners. The crisis appeared to peak in mid-March, abating only when decisive action by the Federal Reserve System bailed out debt-ridden financial titan Bear Stearns. Although the dust has settled as of this June writing, the U.S. economy and its financial system remain fragile, and talk of reform, greater scrutiny of financial practices, and future bailouts by government remain on the front burner.