Many legal experts note that prosecutors regularly seek indictments of people or companies for destroying evidence or impeding investigations, even if they cannot prove other charges.

Even technology companies get good news sometimes.

Companies buy customers when they cannot win new business on their own. They merge when their executives do not have a better idea of what to do.

Like many other banks and finance companies, Green Tree used a process called securitization to resell its home loans to outside investors. Green Tree grouped thousands of these small loans into a pool worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Most companies can survive even if their debt ratings are lowered below investment grade, although they will have higher borrowing costs.

Determining how many asbestos suits have been filed or how much companies have spent to resolve them is difficult. Cases are filed in state and federal courts, and many companies do not disclose their spending on settlements.