Paddy Hirsch is the Senior Producer, Personal Finance at Marketplace. He oversees the production of content related to personal finance for all of the Marketplace shows and for Marketplace.org. He is the author of the book Man vs Markets, Economics Explained, Pure and Simple, and he is the creator and host of Marketplace Whiteboard, a video explainer of financial and economic terms.

Hirsch joined Marketplace in 2007 just as the credit crunch that preceded the 2008 financial crisis began to take hold.  He was an editor of the New York Bureau and the entrepreneurship desk throughout the crisis and he spearheaded Marketplace’s financial markets coverage as the economy slipped into recession. He was awarded a Knight Fellowship at Stanford University in 2010, and he returned to Marketplace in July of 2011. He published his first book, Man vs Markets, in August 2012.

Hirsch got his start in journalism with an internship at the BBC in Glasgow, Scotland. He became a field producer for CNBC in Hong Kong and later was a consultant to the Open Broadcast Network in Bosnia. He has been an editor for Direct Capital Markets, Institutional Investor Newsletters, Standard & Poor’s, and the Vietnam Economic Times.

Hirsch attended Campbell College in Belfast and received a bachelor’s degree in French and International Studies from the University of Warwick. He is a Knight Fellow and was a Webby honoree in 2009.

Hirsch was born in Weymouth, England, raised in Ireland and currently resides in Los Angeles.  During his free time, he is a runner, mountaineer, surfer and consumer of East and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Features By Paddy Hirsch

Pages

2

Why is Spain causing so much pain?

Spain's debt costs are rising and some fear the nation may soon need a full-scale bailout. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the big problem with Spain, using a housing analogy.
Posted In: spain, Europe debt crisis, Eurozone
8

Letters: Refinancing an underwater condo

Host Tess Vigeland is joined by Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch and the L.A. Times' David Lazarus to discuss reader concerns and talk to listeners.
Posted In: mortgage refinance, letters, david lazarus, paddy hirsch
0

Wordplay: Defining 'austerity,' 'sequester' and 'equity'

Words like "austerity," "sequestration" and "equity" are commonly used in news stories everywhere these days, but do you know what they mean? Senior producer Paddy Hirsch explains their actual definitions.
Posted In: austerity, equity
2

Why a bank run is bad

A bank run occurs when customers run down to the bank and demand their money back. So, why can't the bank just return the cash? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains using a human heart analogy.
Posted In: bank, Banks, Europe debt crisis, FDIC, Lehman Brothers, bank run
0

The mail bag: Student debt and risk-averse investing

Host Tess Vigeland and Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch discuss what's been on your minds.
Posted In: letters, listener mail, reich, mccluskey, Investing
3

Letters: Creating a paper trail

Our weekly dive into the mail bag, and L.A. Times personal finance columnist David Lazarus helps a caller with a question about record-keeping.
Posted In: Personal Finance, listener mail, peter morici, paddy hirsch, david lazarus, student loans, credit scores, Credit Cards, marriage
0

Explaining the risk behind JPMorgan's loss

Senior producer and host of the online explainer series The Whiteboard, Paddy Hirsch discusses the risks involved in JPMorgan's $2 billion loss.
Posted In: JPMorgan, risk
0

What's an index of credit default swaps?

Big bets on an obscure index lay at the heart of JPMorgan's losses this week. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains how an index of CDS works.
Posted In: credit default swaps, index, JPMorgan
0

Assets: What are they anyway?

Surely you've heard the term assets -- they can be toxic, liquid, or tangible. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what the word “assets” really means.
Posted In: assets
2

Letters: Michael Ian Black and record-low mortgage rates

Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch joins Tess to discuss what's on your mind.
Posted In: michael ian black, home purchase mortgage, points, gina kolata

Pages