How interest rates have shaped stocks and the economy since the Great Depression.

If you want to understand the last century of finance, it helps to have a general idea about the trend in interest rates since the 1930s. Not only does this explain the spectacular bull market that began in 1982 and ended when the technology bubble burst in 2000, but it also helps one understand why and how the U.S. economy grew so rapidly during this stretch.

In this episode of Industry Focus: Financials, The Motley Fool’s Gaby Lapera and John Maxfield kickoff lifecycle week by discussing how and why interest rates have gone full circle since the Great Depression.