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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

  • Heavy downpours on Monday night submerged roads, flooded metro stations and caused blackouts in Seoul and areas nearby.
    Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: At least eight people died after torrential downpours in the South Korean capital, with some trapped in subterranean apartments, which are frequently occupied by lower-income households. Plus, fears are growing of a worsening energy crisis in Cuba after vital fuel-storage tanks were destroyed by a fire in the port city of Matanzas. And, fed-up homeowners in China have decided to move into their unfinished tower blocks after developers halted work.

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  • Consumers are saving less but still borrowing, and banks have noticed
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Consumers are still spending money and taking out loans, normally good signs for the economy. The catch: They’re saving less, and banks are preparing to deal with more loan delinquency in the coming months as things get more expensive. We take a look at today’s increasingly “weird” economy with Julia Coronado, president and founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives. Chinese exports grew in the past months, according to new data, partly because things are coming back to normal after COVID lockdowns. And, Amazon bought iRobot, the company that makes the Roomba line of robotic vacuums, to boost its smart home offerings.

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  • Senate Democrats passed their spending bill. What didn’t make the final cut?
    Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

    Democrats passed their marquee climate and spending package late yesterday, a victory for the Biden administration as it seeks to reinvigorate its domestic agenda. We look at what provisions didn’t make the final cut, including a proposal to close the so-called “carried-interest tax loophole.” A new study finds that children with friends of different income levels saw a notable reduction in poverty rates later in life. Also, Amazon last week bought iRobot, the company that makes the Roomba line of robotic vacuums, in an effort to expand its smart home offerings.

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  • Travel companies in Kenya are seeing a surge in last-minute bookings ahead of Tuesday’s landmark general elections.
    MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Whoever wins in Kenya will take on economic challenges including record inflation, drought and mounting national debt. Plus, Colombia’s new president, Gustavo Petro, pledges a raft of reforms and says he wants to reduce Colombia’s reliance on coal. It’s one of the largest exporters in the world. And, the stress, hunger and poverty facing people in Afghanistan, as foreign funds that once paid for its public health system have been frozen since the Taliban seized power.

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  • The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, according to the latest jobs report, far outpacing expectations.
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images

    The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, according to the latest jobs report, far outpacing expectations. We dig into what that means amid high inflation and whether this dampens fears of a recession. More on the reasons why the labor market will likely stay hot for the foreseeable future, including Baby Boomer retirements and declining immigration. Also, China has imposed sanctions on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after her visit to Taiwan. 

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  • The CHIPS Act isn’t just about semiconductors. It also funds science.
    Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

    The CHIPS and Science Act puts aside tens of billions of dollars in funding for the National Science Foundation, the nation’s government research agency. We talked to the NSF’s director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, about what the money means and how it would contribute to American scientific advancement in coming years. Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a key swing vote in the party, announced yesterday that she would support the party’s “Inflation Reduction Act” tax and climate bill. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Equifax, which acknowledged that some users’ credit scores were miscalculated due to a “coding issue.”

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  • The Chinese Foreign Ministry took the wraps off sanctions against not just the House speaker, but her immediate family.
    Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: The Chinese Foreign Ministry described Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an “egregious provocation” and that it ignored China’s “serious concerns”. Plus, three more grain ships have sailed from Ukraine, bound for Turkey, Ireland and the U.K. And, medical recruitment is a global challenge for hospitals.

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  • The 311,000 number is higher than most predictions, while unemployment rose from 3.4% to 3.6%.
    Olivier Douliery/ Getty Images

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ JOLTS report is out, and it indicates that the labor market may be in the early stages of cooling off. We talk about what the report means, and if businesses are feeling less hiring pressure. The Bank of England raised rates today in its biggest increase since 1995. And, horses are back working in French wine country, bucking their mechanical tractor counterparts. 

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  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (left) and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., at a press conference at the Capitol on Feb. 2, 2021 in Washington.
    Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

    Senate Democrats are working out the details of their latest spending bill, dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act.” We go over what’s been going on with the bill, and some contentious corporate tax proposals. Tensions between Taiwan and China are starting to disrupt commerce and some flights. The Department of Transportation is beginning to take comments on a potential move to boost protections for airline passengers seeking refunds for tickets.

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  • Taiwan's defense ministry says China has fired multiple ballistic missiles during unprecedented military exercises around the self-governed island.
    Sam Yeh / AFP

    From the BBC World Service: We hear from the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, an organization with more than 500 member firms there. Plus, the Bank of England is expected to make its biggest interest rates rise in 27 years. And, with fears of gas shortages intensifying in Germany, businesses are preparing for what could be a tough winter ahead. 

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David Brancaccio