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David Brancaccio

"Future Effects" Senior Correspondent

David Brancaccio is Marketplace’s “future effects” senior correspondent. In this role, David aims to explore how short-term thinking can impact our personal finances, innovation, government policy, and more.

David worked as the host and senior editor of “Marketplace Morning Report” from 2013 to 2026, where he focused on the regulation of financial markets, the role of technology in labor markets, the history of innovation, digital privacy, sustainability, social enterprises, and financial vulnerability in older adults. David freelanced for Marketplace in 1989 before becoming the program’s European correspondent based in London in 1990.

David hosted the evening program from 1993-2003, then anchored the award-winning public television news program “Now” on PBS after a period co-hosting with journalist Bill Moyers. David has co-produced and appeared in several documentaries, including “Fixing the Future,” about alternative approaches to the economy, and “On Thin Ice,” about climate change and water security, with mountaineer Conrad Anker. David is the author of “Squandering Aimlessly,” a book about personal values and money. He enjoys moderating public policy discussions, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, and the Camden Conference in Maine.

David is from Waterville, Maine, and has degrees from Wesleyan and Stanford universities. Honors include the Peabody, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Emmy, and Walter Cronkite awards. He is married to Mary Brancaccio, a poet and educator. They have three offspring, all adults. He likes making beer and building (and launching) pretty big rockets. Among his heroes are Edward R. Murrow and Wolfman Jack.

Latest from David Brancaccio

  • Strikes continue over judicial reform in Israel
    Amir Levy/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: A general strike has been threatened in Israel over judicial changes that will restrict the Supreme Court’s powers to challenge the government. Today doctors take industrial action. We hear from the protestors and one of the country’s big business groups. Plus, an eye-opening story — why is the founder of ChatGPT scanning eyeballs? And will one of the world’s top soccer stars, Kylian Mbappé, head to Saudi Arabia for more than $300 million?

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  • “Average” doesn’t mean typical
    Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    “Bidenomics” has declared the U.S. to be in a period of economic growth. But most everyday Americans don’t feel that way. Plus, student loan repayments start this fall and businesses report soft landings that indicate no recession, at least on the immediate horizon.

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  • When the Biden administration celebrates headline job growth or wage data, it runs the risk of alienating voters whose experiences don't align, says Karen Petrou of Federal Financial Analytics. For instance, almost two-thirds of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    President Joe Biden wants to highlight the strong U.S. economy. But the headline numbers don’t necessarily reflect day-to-day life.

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  • Skin in the Game: Fake money, real stakes
    Dave Benett/Getty Images

    In some video games, the built-in financial system closely mirrors real-world economics. Researchers are looking to games like Everquest II draw conclusions about spending habits and more. Plus, Boppenheimer surpasses box office expectations.

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  • A screenshot of EverQuest II. Dmitri Williams, a professor at the University of Southern California, said he uses that title and other video games to study real-world behavior.
    Courtesy EverQuest II

    Researchers use some video games to learn about spending behavior and how players respond to economic crises.

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  • The claim in Spain is that voters go again
    Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Spain’s muddled election results mean more confusion for businesses as it remains unclear whether a government can be formed; the BBC’s Guy Hedgecoe explains what it means from Madrid. Plus we hear from British tourists caught up in the devastating wildfires that have hit the Greek island of Rhodes. And finally, with Barbie making a huge impact at the box office, Elizabeth Hotson reports on businesses betting big on going pink.

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  • Boppenheimer at the box office
    Mark Makela/Getty Images

    With actors on strike, how will movies fare at the box office without actors doing promotion? Plus, a new money transferring service from the Fed and the case for investing more in women’s soccer.

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  • Turkey plays rate hike catch-up
    Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

    In Turkey, a changing of the economic policy guard means that the country is raising rates for the first time in this inflationary economy. Plus, a first step toward smoother air travel in the House, and a look at how AI might be implemented in the workforce.

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  • A person cools off in the Canaletas fountain in Barcelona, Spain
    Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: There are weather warnings across Italy and the heatwave in Spain is set to intensify, with temperatures predicted to reach 112 degrees near Seville, and there’s no let-up in sight. Amsterdam’s city’s council has banned cruise ships from the city center — the aim is to limit visitor numbers and curb pollution. Despite the huge popularity of the women’s soccer, as the World Cup gets underway, there’s controversy over the pay disparity between the men’s and women’s games.

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  • MIDDLETOWN, CT - MAY 27: Students arrive to attend the commencement ceremony on May 27, 2018 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Law professor Anita Hill spoke at the ceremony.
    Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

    Although some elite colleges are dropping legacy preference as a way to increase diversity without affirmative action, others might keep it around to buoy their bottom line. Plus, the fight for fairer workers compensation death benefits.

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