Chris Farrell is economics editor of Marketplace Money, a nationally syndicated one-hour weekly personal finance show produced by American Public Media. Chris is also economics correspondent for Marketplace, the largest business program in broadcasting and chief economics correspondent for American RadioWorks, the largest producer of long-form documentaries in public radio. He is also contributing economics editor at Business Week magazine. He was host and executive editor of public television’s Right on the Money. He is the author of two books: Right on the Money: Taking Control of Your Personal Finances, and Deflation: What Happens When Prices Fall. Chris is a graduate of Stanford and the London School of Economics.
Features By Chris Farrell
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Putting Social Security's deteriorating finances in context
Social Security's shortfall is manageable, but it's also real.
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Guides for a personal finance novice
I am 50 years old, and unfortunately, a bit of a financial novice. I have never invested, never budgeted and never really had my money work for me. I am a professional, in my own private practice and earn close to or more than $100,000 a year. I am looking for some good source(s) that may, by reading or watching videos, make me a more informed steward of my money. Ed, Cardiff, CA
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Ours, yours, and mine
I don't have a question, just a comment on how our finances work. My wife and I agreed a long time ago we each need an allowance. We decided to take a percentage of our gross income as an allowance deposited to our personal checking account. The balance goes to the Joint account for all household bills and expenses. ... This has worked well for us as we agree that most household expenses are joint. Gary, Milwaukee, WI
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Financial literacy: No time like the present
Commentator Chris Farrell thinks there's no time like the present to get smart about your finances.
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Why the middleweight cities matter
Forget those mega-cities like Los Angeles and New York -- a new study shows the economic dynamism of middleweight cities like Pittsburgh and the Twin Cities.
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Too much going into retirement accounts?
Outside of my 403(b) Base Program, which my employer matches 10% to my 5%, how much should I sock away in a 403(b) Supplemental? Currently, I contribute 5% to a 403(b) Supplemental, for a total of 20% of 110% of my paycheck. I fully fund a ROTH IRA every year, so I am wondering if I should be saving more of my paycheck to a more liquid asset. Michael, Haslett, MI
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How much rent is reasonable
I just landed a job in Los Angeles and will be looking to rent starting in July. How much of my income is wise to spend on rent? Am I allowed to increase that number for a place like L.A., where rent is so expensive? Also, I only plan to be there for a year or so, so is it unreasonable for me to spend an extra couple hundred a month to live on the beach and take advantage of being single with my first job out of college? Sam, Athens, GA
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The tragic return of debtors' prison
Far too many poor people are living in the modern-day equivalent of debtors' prison without a chance of a fresh start. It's wrong -- a terrible state of affairs.
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Experiment before picking up stakes
I'll be retiring in a few months and my husband is already retired. We are thinking of selling our home in Florida and moving to California to be closer to our children and grandchildren, who live in Los Angeles. Another option might be to keep the house in Florida, buy an RV and camp out in an RV park in California until we wear out our welcome. What are some of the pitfalls that we should try to avoid? Nancy, Milton, FL
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A home and a margin of safety
My boyfriend and I both currently work full-time and are in school. He's working toward an associate degree and I'm working on a master's. When we both finish, in the spring of 2014, we'll be qualified for much better-paying jobs. We're also planning on getting married between now and then and starting a family once one or both of us has found new employment. We weren't planning to buy a home any time soon, but I recently inherited $40,000. My question is, how do you know that you're ready to take the plunge? Leah, Ypsilanti, MI
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