AP - President Bush said Tuesday the nation's troubled financial system is "basically sound" and urged lawmakers to quickly enact legislation to prop up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Reuters - Investors unloaded shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Tuesday after a credit agency cut the mortgage finance companies' ratings amid fears that a government rescue plan may come at the expense of embattled shareholders.

AP - Questions and answers about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their role in the mortgage market:

Reuters - The shares of major U.S. banks plunged on Monday amid fears about the sector's stability following Friday's seizure by regulators of IndyMac Bancorp Inc as withdrawals by panicked depositors led to the third- largest U.S. banking failure.

Reuters - U.S. stocks fell on Monday as worry about the health of the U.S. banking sector after Friday's collapse of IndyMac outweighed earlier optimism over the government's plan to stabilize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac .

Reuters - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp has temporarily halted any foreclosures on the $15 billion of bank-owned mortgage loans found in IndyMac's portfolio, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said on Monday.

AP - Wall Street extended its slump into yet another week Monday as investors worried that even a safety net set up for mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won't head off further troubles in the financial markets.