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Samantha Fields

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Samantha Fields is a senior reporter at Marketplace.

She’s particularly interested in how the economy affects people’s everyday lives, and a lot of her coverage focuses on economic inequality, housing and climate change.

She’s also reported and produced for WCAI and The GroundTruth Project, the “NPR Politics Podcast,” NPR’s midday show, “Here & Now,” Vermont Public Radio and Maine Public Radio. She got her start in journalism as a reporter for a community paper, The Wellesley Townsman, and her start in radio as an intern and freelance producer at “The Takeaway” at WNYC. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Latest Stories (525)

Existing home sales are down nearly 37%, NAR data shows

Feb 21, 2023
Prices are still rising, but more slowly. What does that mean for house hunters this spring?
"We're at a very interesting point in the U.S. housing market where many people feel like the 2023 could really go either way," says Igor Popov, chief economist at Apartment List.
Mario Tama/Getty

Credit card debt is rising. Again.

Feb 20, 2023
Card debt, which fell during the pandemic, is at a record $986 billion, according to the New York Fed. Delinquencies are rising too.
Though expanding credit card debt may represent a return to normal, the "pre-pandemic normal ought to concern Americans," says Aaron Klein at the Brookings Institution.
Franko Lee/AFP via Getty Images

It can be harder for seniors to get mortgages, research shows

Feb 15, 2023
Many older people have lower incomes and less time to pay off loans than younger counterparts, making lenders hesitant.
Older homeowners may be denied refinancings or new mortgages because of high debt-to-income ratios or other financial factors, according to Linna Zhu at the Urban Institute.
Westersoe/Getty Images

Home heating oil prices have dropped from record highs

Feb 10, 2023
A milder winter is one reason why. But it's still a significant expense, and applications for assistance are up.
A milder winter means milder demand for home heating oil.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Were last year's state payments taxable? Taxpayers wait while the IRS decides.

Feb 9, 2023
It's will depend on why the payments were made and who got them.
The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington. Even though tax season is upon us, the agency hasn't yet ruled whether special payments from states will be exempt.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Growth of solar energy and battery capacity yields sunny forecast for the industry

Feb 6, 2023
The federal Energy Information Administration predicts that more than half of the new capacity added to the electric grid this year will be solar.
"Now, there's more incentive and more availability of locations to build new solar projects," an Energy Department spokesman said.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As workers slowly come back, big city office occupancy hits a new pandemic milestone

Feb 2, 2023
For the rest of the country, remote work numbers are stable.
Though more workers have begun returning to offices in larger cities, that's less true for workers elsewhere in the country. Above, a view of office buildings in San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Retail is recovering — and flowering — in smaller cities and the suburbs

Feb 1, 2023
A new report from the JPMorgan Chase Institute finds retail has followed consumers to where many more now work and live.
Consumers are continuing to spend — just closer to home. Above, people walk at an outdoor shopping area in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

What is it about cookbooks?

Jan 31, 2023
You can get pretty much any recipe you want online. But cookbooks still sell. A lot.
Leslie Gray Streeter, prepping to cook mushroom risotto, has 47 cookbooks in her kitchen. This year, her goal is to make something from every single one.
Samantha Fields/Marketplace

Savings are up, spending is down. Are consumers better off or just nervous?

Jan 27, 2023
The savings rate went up half a percentage point in December, but it's still not back to pre-pandemic levels.
Wipada Wipawin/Getty Images