Chris Farrell

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.

Latest from Chris Farrell

Dec 7, 2011
Estate planning 101 for young families
I have a niece and nephew in their early 20s who have both recently started their own families. I know they do not have a will, advanced directive or a living trust because they are intimidated by the idea and cost of hiring an attorney to draw up the paperwork. Instead of a gift card this year, I would love to help make sure their assets and children are protected. Is there an easy/affordable product or site online I can use to help get them situated? Jeff, Cincinnati, OH
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Dec 6, 2011
Focusing on debt, but which one
My husband and I have extra money each month, a healthy emergency savings account, and we save for retirement through our work plans. (I should point out we are in our 20s.) We recently bought a home and now have a mortgage of $130,000 at 4 percent interest. We also have approximately $80,000 in student loan debt for our graduate degrees at 6.8 percent interest. With our extra spending money each month, should we tackle the student loan debt first? Pay down the mortgage? Both? Or some other option? Carolyn, Duluth, MN
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Dec 6, 2011
Age in place
Working during the traditional retirement years means it makes sense to stay put and not pick up stakes when older.
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Dec 5, 2011
How’s my ratio?
I understand that your credit score is affected by the percentage of your available credit that you use. However, does this reflect the total percentage of the total available, or is it specific to each line of credit? Gabriel, Somerville, MA
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Dec 5, 2011
Tilt to safety
I keep reading that the lesson of the past few years is to throw out the old rules of investing. I don’t buy it. My reaction is the exact opposite. The old rules of investing were hammered out over previous bear markets, such as the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Stagnation of the 1970s. They still work.
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Dec 2, 2011
The principle of "Pop"
How do we deal with an inheritance in an intelligent and fiscally sound manner? Thank you! Steve, Drexel Hill, PA
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Dec 2, 2011
Living in the fertile void
The movement toward second and third careers
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Dec 1, 2011
Worried about a tanking credit score
Recently, I got married. I increased the credit line on one of my three credit cards and charged a lot of money on two of the cards. One, I basically stopped using, but it is open. I also had a lot of credit checks done as I was applying for financing a car. I leased a car and started renting an apartment. Now, when I started looking for a mileage credit card so my wife and I can better earn miles to travel, I found that my credit score has decreased and my applications are being denied. How can I rebuild my score after all these credit checks. Should I cancel the card I don't use? Thanks! Adam, Los Angeles, CA
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Dec 1, 2011
The debts of households, companies and governments
And how they influence a country's GDP.
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Dec 1, 2011
‘Tis the season to give
Holiday giving is your last shot to slide in extra tax deductions for the year, but Marketplace's economics editor Chris Farrell says there are deeper motivations behind end-of-the-year donations.
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