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

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What’s an IPO?

So Facebook has filed to go public. How exactly does an initial public offering work? Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains.
Posted In: Facebook, IPO, stocks
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Saving the lion's share

Lion dancers from the East Wind martial arts school say they plan to sock their New Year money away, rather than spend it.
Posted In: martial arts, Saving, kids, children, New Year, lion dance, lai see, li xi
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What's the difference: Secured vs. unsecured bonds

Learn the difference between secured and unsecured debt -- a lesson that Irish taxpayers could use as they face the prospect of footing the bill for the bailout of state-owned Anglo Irish Bank.
Posted In: bonds, Investing, Ireland
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Letters: Saving as much as you can

Tess Vigeland and senior producer Paddy Hirsch go through the Marketplace Money mailbag.
Posted In: letters, Saving, Retirement, emergency fund
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Private equity explained

Private equity funds are groups of investors that flip companies for a profit. It’s the technique they use that makes them special, as senior producer Paddy Hirsch explains.
Posted In: private equity, investment
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Re-hypothecation: How it's related to MF Global

If ever there was a word that you’d expect to find in a Harry Potter novel, it’s re-hypothecation. But it's not just a magic trick.
Posted In: MF Global
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How junk bonds are like junk yards

Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains why high-yield bonds are just as risky as used auto parts.
Posted In: bonds, junk bonds
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What is a junk bond?

Junk. Not a nice word. And when it comes to bonds, not a particularly accurate word, either. Junk is something useless, right? Well, "junk" bonds are definitely not useless. In fact they're extremely useful. Sometimes. Marketplace Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what a junk bond really is.
Posted In: junk bonds, bonds
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Which troubled eurozone nation are you?

What do you do when faced with a debt crisis? Get thrifty or look the other way? Take our quiz to find out which eurozone nation best matches your personality.
Posted In: Eurozone, quiz
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Letters: Dear Paddy...

We've got a new senior producer, so we asked Paddy Hirsch to weigh in on your comments and suggestions -- for him and the show.

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