How Lehman's collapse 15 years ago changed the U.S. mortgage industry

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 15, 2008 , with $613 billion in debt.

The dramatic fall of Lehman was due in large part to scores of risky mortgages propping up an unstable financial system.

Housing experts say it's a lot safer for homebuyers to secure a mortgage they'll be able to pay off in the long run.

A federal court ruled last year that funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is unconstitutional because it gets its money from the Federal Reserve .

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case, which could threaten the bureau's existence.

Mortgage interest rates hit their highest levels since before the 2008 financial crisis.