A company’s decision to “go public” and move forward with an initial public offering of stock, or IPO, is typically driven by the desire to raise capital and expand its business. The company’s shares are then publicly traded on the market, and its management becomes responsible to shareholders. But as Facebook’s May 2012 IPO showed, the early days of issuing stock can often be rocky, and history suggests that early IPOs and the performance of new shares are frequently plagued by a number of variables.

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Peter Dreier, Occidental College

Half of Americans have almost no savings, according to a May 2016 survey by the Federal Reserve. For such people, car trouble or a toothache can trigger financial ruin.

The 2007-08 financial crisis is years in the past, but in many ways it is still with us: While some countries have returned to modest levels of economic growth, many households, companies and governments still face high levels of debt.