Wakati thamani ya mali za benki zinapotoweka, nafasi za mikopo zinalazimika kulipwa kwa sababu mikopo ya muda mfupi inakauka. Kwa maana halisi, benki zinanaswa katika mduara hasi wa kupunguza madeni (deleveraging), ambapo nafasi kubwa za mikopo zilizojengwa katika miaka ya hivi karibuni zinalazimika kufutwa taratibu. Hata benki za Ulaya zenye msimamo wa kihafidhina zinakabiliwa na matatizo yaleyale, kwa kuwa zinategemea sana ufadhili wa mikopo wa miezi mitatu ili kudumisha nafasi zao dhidi ya uwekezaji wa muda mrefu. Zaidi ya hayo, mfuko wa wawekezaji wa hedge (hedge funds), mifuko ya uwekezaji na makundi yanayohusiana nayo yanakabiliwa na madai makubwa ya margin (margin calls) dhidi ya nafasi zao zilizowekezwa kwa mkopo, kadiri masoko yanavyoshuka kwa kasi. Hali hii inaongezwa na kiwango kikubwa cha wateja kutoa fedha zao kutoka kwenye mifuko hiyo, huku kila mtu akikimbilia kujiondoa kutoka kwenye chombo kinachozama cha uwekezaji.

While Bank asset values are evaporating, loan positions are having to be repaid as short term lending dries up. Effectively the banks are being caught in a downward spiral of deleveraging in which the massive loan positions built up in recent years have to be unwound. Even the more conservative European banks are facing the same problems as they rely heavily on three month loan financing to maintain their positions vis a vis their long term investments. Additionally the Hedge funds, investment funds and associated groups are facing heavy margin calls against their leveraged positions as the markets dramatically drop, added to high levels of customer withdrawals from their funds, as everyone clambers to get off the sinking investment ship.