Two of the biggest credit bureau just changed their mortgage transaction rules. Get ready to pay more fees. Kai interviews Terry Clemans, the Executive Director of the National Credit Reporting Association.
Reading a mutual fund prospectus requires Herculean skill. How else can you absorb the page after page of financial speak in really tiny print? But those documents might soon be a thing of the past. Bente Birkeland reports.
Democrats want to reverse a bill that gave energy companies tax cuts and allowed them to skip paying royalties. Commentator David Frum agrees it was bad legislation, but he thinks Congress should stick with it.
Motorola today cut its projections for 4th-quarter growth. And some on Wall Street worry the news might mean trouble for the whole mobile-phone industry. Jeff Tyler reports.
In America, Europe and Japan, workers could be in for a bigger slice of the prosperity pie as labor gains a stronger bargaining position. Stephen Beard reports.
House Democrats have reinstated a rule that requires new spending to be matched by either a tax increase or cuts to something else in the federal budget. John Dimsdale reports.
The virtual-reality website Second Life boasts more than 2.3 million residents. But a reporter found that only 250,000 have returned after signing up. Another case of cyber hype? Amy Scott reports.
Details of President Bush's plan for Iraq are leaking out. It would involve spending a lot more money. Rick Barton with the Center for Strategic and International Studies talks with Kai Ryssdal about the plan.
The Chinese government has approved one additional air route between the U.S. and Beijing or Shanghai. And the Department of Transportation is about to give it to one lucky airline. Ramy Inocencio reports.
Ninety million Americans bank online. The federal government wants to make digital transactions safer. So why are banks moving slowly? Marketplace's Tess Vigeland explains.
Eating better is a common New Year's resolution. And that starts at the grocery store. Should you be filling your cart with organic products? Marketplace's Alisa Roth goes shopping.
An innovative non-profit in New Orleans is luring kids off the streets of one of the city's worst neighborhoods — and into the restaurant business. Patrick Johnson reports.
Four-month-old bistro Robin des Bois has already made its mark on Montreal's trendy restaurant scene — by catering to the rich and giving its profits to the poor. Judith Ritter has the story.
Air Asia, the biggest low-cost air carrier in the East, is planning to add cheap flights between Kuala Lumpur and London, but will the model stretch? Stephen Beard reports.
Germans were hoping their Chancellor would ask some tough questions when she met with President Bush yesterday, but the leaders stuck to topics they could work together on. Ethan Lindsey reports.
Bids are due today for what could become the largest solar energy project in history, but Wal-Mart is keeping quiet about its plans. Sam Eaton tells us why.
Tomorrow marks one of the first major milestones in Wal-Mart's green makeover. Bids are due for a solar power project that could become the biggest in history. Sam Eaton reports.
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer says he wants to guarantee access to health care for all of the state's uninsured children, and help reduce the number of uninsured overall. Alisa Roth reports.
We're all aware that being overweight can hurt your personal health, and your ego, too. But it also contributes to rising costs of health care. Helen Palmer reports.
Democrats took power in Congress today. Apart from Republicans, probably nobody has been dreading the day more than business interests. Marketplace's John Dimsdale talks with Kai Ryssdal about the changes to come.
Oil prices have been dropping, thanks to some supply-and-demand at work. A goverment report shows U.S. petroleum inventories are fatter than expected. And winter in the Northeast has been milder than usual. Jeff Tyler reports.
Major League Baseball had a busy off-season, with players signed to some of the biggest deals ever. Business-of-sports analyst Diana Nyad talks with Kai Ryssdal about the players who got the most — pitchers.
The Bush Administration is skirting the normal budget process and using "emergency" supplemental spending to fund non-emergency items for the Pentagon. Jeff Tyler looks at the effects.
An environmental think tank says the fast-growing ethanol industry's appetite for corn is going to be more than double the government's estimate. Sam Eaton reports.
The cost of raising a child in America is about $250,000 these days. One school program in Texas is motivating teenagers not to get pregnant by telling them just how much babies cost. Alex Cohen has the story.
Congress is back today and everyone's watching to see if the Democrats will keep their promises for reform over their first few days in power. Amy Scott reports.
Super Bowl commercials continue to get pricier and, hopefully, more entertaining as companies shell out millions of dollars to get your attention. Dan Grech reports.
Older stadiums are getting more and more expensive to maintain, so who's going to pay for the renovations when the local municipality can't afford it? David Carter has some advice.
Belarus and Russia are at it again. Following their quarrel over natural gas taxes, a fresh row has broken out between the two neighbors over oil. Stefan Bos reports.
British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber warns that the auction of a wireless spectrum in London could doom music theater in the city's West End. Stephen Beard explains.
A loophole in workplace rules lets some employers force workers to buy their own protective gear. The Labor Department hasn't fixed the rule, so two unions are forcing the issue. Alisa Roth reports.
Electronic trading is changing the once-bustling culture of the New York Stock Exchange. Stacy Vanek-Smith takes a walk around a quieter and more open trading floor.
Where a child grows up has a big influence on how successful he might be later in life, according to a new study. Sarah Gardner reports on the state-by-state "Chance for Success Index."
Israel has spent millions of dollars in an effort to retool its image. But can branding, marketing and advertising campaigns do much to change perceptions? Stephen Beard reports.
The company underperformed, its stock tanked, but Home Depot's board still gave outgoing chief Robert Nardelli a $210 million severance package. Dan Grech has more.
The President made sure to get his point to the press today about the budget. Kai Ryssdal takes a look at what he said, and what he didn't, with fiscal policy expert Maya MacGuineas.
Commentator Jeremy Kahn says a country's identity is the sum of many things. And for Israel to change its image might require something beyond the abilities of even the most talented marketing consultant.
Democrats have big plans for their reign over the 110th Congress, but President Bush has other ideas — and some of the Dems' big promises might conflict with one another. Hillary Wicai reports.
The governments of France and Germany had been working to build a European alternative to Google — but Deutschland's new leadership is rethinking that plan.
Congress is expected to increase the minimum wage after Democrats take control this week. President Bush wants tax breaks for small businesses as a concession, but Robert Reich says that's just not necessary.
The price of gold has been going up thanks to private investors and up-and-coming world economies, and it could be poised to take off even higher. So what does that mean for the dollar?
Your company underperforms, your stock tanks and you make millions? That's a recipe for some unhappy shareholders. The struggling home improvement retailer announced today that CEO Robert Nardelli has resigned. Dan Grech reports.
Microsoft sent $2,200 laptops to about 90 bloggers to review its new Vista operating system — only it didn't ask them to send 'em back. Janet Babin reports.
Lawmakers need staff and that means young and hungry Democratic job seekers are scrambling to get hired on the Hill as the new Congress moves in. Hillary Wicai has the story.
A British company has unveiled plans to build the world's first factory for making plastic semiconductors — technology that could cut circuitry prices up to 90 percent. Stephen Beard reports.
As newly-elected officials prepare inaugural celebrations, some businesses see an opportunity to make a big donations with fewer restrictions and less public scrutiny. Jeff Tyler reports.
Neatness might not be so virtuous — or profitable — after all. David Freedman talks about his new book on the topic, "A Perfect Mess," with host Kai Ryssdal.
In parts of the Great Plains, ranchers are scrambling to save livestock from yet another blizzard. Kai Ryssdal talked with Colorado cattle rancher John Stulp as he was out trying to help his herd.
For the past 68 years, every drop of oil in Mexico has been controlled by Pemex, the national petroleum monopoly. But Pemex is deep in the red, and and it's running out of its most basic product. Dan Grech reports.
Retirees are staying active well into their golden years. And a new crop of health clubs is catering to seniors who want to stay that way. Cash Peters has the skinny.
The Federal Reserve's efforts to steer the nation clear of inflation without crashing other parts of the economy might be working even better than imagined. Bob Moon reports.
An infectious-disease doctor from London says he's developed a new way of making a drug to treat Hepatitis C that could slash the cost of new therapies. Helen Palmer reports.
Markets are closed today for the fourth straight day to mourn the passing of President Ford, but many traders aren't enjoying the extended holiday. Dan Grech explains.
Some economists are predicting that we'll see a slow rise in unemployment in 2007 — but the rest of us might have more money in our wallets. Amy Scott reports.
Researchers at Duke University are testing a new cancer treatment method that involves sending in tiny little fat balloons loaded with drugs. Helen Palmer reports.
The price of oil fell below $61 a barrel in London following a relatively peaceful response to Saddam Hussein's execution in Iraq. But greater factors are at play, Stephen Beard reports.
A Spanish company has just won the fois gras industry's top award — without force-feeding the birds. But the French say that doesn't even count as fois gras.
The retail giant is pushing the sale of swirl-shaped fluorescent bulbs in its stores to get consumers to switch from inefficient regular light bulbs — but it's hitting some resistance. Dan Grech reports.
For the stock market, 2006 turned out to be a very good year. But the deck might be stacked against that kind of performance in the coming year. Amy Scott reports.
The U.S. ban on caviar from the Black and Caspian seas continues to be a boom for American caviar — and a challenge for Midwestern roe fishermen. Mhari Saito reports.
According to some real estate experts, there's no better time than now to purchase a home. But a soft market doesn't necessarily make it a comfy one, as Janet Babin reports.
The Wall Street Journal is narrowing its newspaper pages to save $18 million in newsprint costs. It'll move more of its breaking news coverage online. Alisa Roth reports.
For party planners like Justin Jones, the holidays are no time to kick back. Jones organizes over-the-top parties some of us get to enjoy — or at least read about.
The daily diary of business is taking three inches of width off its newspaper to save $18 million in newsprint costs. But as Alisa Roth reports, that's not all.
A new car service in New York City will cost more than a cab, but you can ride with a cleaner environmental conscience — not to mention an iBook and Wi-Fi. Lisa Napoli has details.
A new "green buildings" law goes into effect today in New York City. Supporters hope it will inspire green construction all over the country. Sarah Gardner reports.
The incoming Democratic majority in Congress is promising tougher trade policies this year, which Republicans warn will block the free flow of trade and harm the economy. John Dimsdale reports on the competing philosophies.
The long-running back and forth between Russia's gas giant Gazprom, and Belarus has ended. The two parties signed an agreement just hours before their deadline.From Budapest, Stefan Bos reports.
This week back in 1951, television first dipped its toe into the world of pay-per-view programs. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on the beginning of a television revolution.
