Homes & Shadow Banking: China's Economy Shows Further Signs of Weakness

``Assets under management at China's trust companies posted their first quarterly decline in five years, due to the cooling economy and a summer stock-market rout, according to data released on Wednesday. Trust companies, which take money from investors and lend out to other firms, are an important part of China's informal--or shadow -- banking system, which is a key source of funding for companies underserved by the state-run banking system.''