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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

  • What can the European Central Bank actually do about soaring inflation?
    Ronald Wittek/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: While inflation in Eurozone countries reached a record annual high of 7.5% in March, economists don’t expect an interest rate increase from the ECB. We hear why. And, new checks at the U.S.-Mexico border are causing outrage and long delays for truckers.

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  • LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23:  A student walks near Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA on April 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. According to reports, half of recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees are finding themselves underemployed or jobless.  (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

    One of the takeaways from the 2019 college admissions scandal is the enormous cultural weight placed on college prestige. Does going to a more prestigious school really make a difference your life? It depends, says Ron Lieber, author of “The Price You Pay for College” and The New York Times’ “Your Money” column. We spoke to Lieber about different facets of this concept. We check in on small businesses that have been stocking up on inventory to avoid – or at least soften the blow – of supply chain issues.

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  • Does college prestige really matter? Maybe.
    Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    Your alma mater’s ranking “will mean something, in some places, sometimes,” says The New York Times’ Ron Lieber.

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  • A mural in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood features the work of visual artist Greg Mike. Over the last year, Mike has minted several collections of his artwork as NFTs.
    Emil Moffatt

    We check in with an Atlanta muralist to kick off a story of how visual artists are finding ways to utilize NFTs as a way to not only connect with their followers, but also rethink the value of their work. While NFTs are a pathway to another dimension of possibilities for these artists, the challenges of navigating the technology still remain. The White House is poised to send more military aid to Ukraine in the form of heavy equipment. 

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  • People walk past the JP Morgan Chase  Building on Park Avenue. An influx of deposits during the pandemic have put many banks in position to lend.
    TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GettyImages

    Rising interest rates and an influx of stashed cash built up over the pandemic era could have banks more willing to push loans to people and businesses. Consumer prices hit a 40-year high in March, and hints at what April could bring might come in the form of the coming wholesale price numbers. We look into how fledgling shopping centers have pivoted to become medical hubs during the pandemic.

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  • The war in Ukraine has added pressure to already high energy costs in many European Union countries.
    ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Significant price rises across Europe and the impact of the war in Ukraine are likely to be on the agenda when European Central Bank policymakers meet this week. Plus, Britain’s Prime Minister and Chief Finance Minister reject calls to resign after being fined for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules to attend a party. And, Ethiopia lifts restrictions so the Boeing 737 Max can return to its skies.

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  • Sure, wages are increasing right alongside prices right now. But, overall, prices are rising faster.
    Thitaree Sarmkasat/Getty Images

    Consumer prices are up 8.5% compared to a year ago. That’s a four-decade high, according to the government’s latest reading of inflation: the consumer price index. It’s the first report fully accounting for higher gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. David Kelly offers up some perspective on market activity on the heels of these inflation numbers. The BBC reports on a small town in Germany that’s become the home of some geopolitically important equipment: the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

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  • "We’re as concerned now as we were a year ago of our ability to survive this," said one small business owner.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Small business owners’ optimism about the economy fell in March, according to a new survey from the National Federation of Independent Business. It found that small businesses are continuing to grapple with staffing shortages, supply chain disruptions and higher costs. Politicians have asked Big Oil to use its profits to help stem the tide of rising gas prices, but experts say it’s not that simple. 

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  • The sea-resort town of Lubmin in northeastern Germany is home to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines designed to transport gas from Russia to Europe. Now that focus has turned to quickly scaling back supplies from Russia, how are businesses in the town reacting?

    From the BBC World Service: The U.S. orders non-emergency staff to leave its consulate in Shanghai as COVID-19 infection rates rise and lockdown measures continue. Plus, Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades. Now, the central bank has prioritized essential imports over foreign debt payments. And, we take you to the northeastern German town of Lubmin – where the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines are built – to find out how businesses there are reacting to Europe’s quick pivot away from Russian energy imports.

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  • On Wednesday, the government will auction 10-year Treasury notes. But demand for government bonds has not been so hot lately.
    Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

    The yield on the 10-year treasury note has been moving up in the past month and approaching pre-pandemic levels. What does this mean? Investors want a higher payoff for putting their money in bonds. Julia Coronado helps us get a read on why this is happening. It turns out that SpaceX and Tesla leader Elon Musk won’t be joining Twitter’s board of directors after all. We check out the fastest-growing sports craze: Pickleball.

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