SAN DIEGO -- Novice investors and savvy ones alike are wondering what has happened to the U.S. economy and how it will affect them now and in the future.

Many key questions are being raised on the campus of San Diego State University.

"The stock market declined because investors not only in this market but around the world decided that it was riskier than they had thought it was," said SDSU finance Prof. Carl Colombo.

In Colombo's fundamentals of finance class, more than 60 students pushed aside their lesson on bond devaluation Tuesday to instead discuss what's happening in Washington and on Wall Street.

"… That would have enabled the U.S. Treasury to spend about $700 billion purchasing problem assets from banks, savings and loans, perhaps even hedge funds," said Colombo.

There were discussion points that had students and financial experts alike showing interest.

Josh Lyon - Finance Major Finance major Josh Lyon said, "It really comes down to kind of relaxed regulations. The bottom line is that people were able to get these loans that were processed and put out into the secondary market, so it kind of perpetuated itself."

Colombo said politicians who might gain more in the end.

"Everybody who was sitting on the fence will get something from this. They will all be able to go back to their constituents prior to the November election and say look, 'I held out, and this is what I got for you,'" said Colombo.

A handful of those 65 students had a lot of interesting questions and they got an earful of answers.

Meanwhile, Colombo believes there should be a signed bill by the end of this week.