I found an interesting article ( How Companies Raise Money )on the London Stock Exchange about how companies raise money.

It will answer the following questions while making a few stock/bond related concepts clear to you
- Can a company issue new stocks anytime?
- What is a "stag"?
- What is primary and secondary market?
- What is "Rights issues"?
- What are "Script issues"?
- Why does a company issue bonds?

In this financial turmoil caused by sub-prime mess and wisdom of Wall Street veterans everything looks bad. Declining 401K balance is heart breaking and fear starts creeping in forcing us to think "what next?".