In the first installment of our latest Marketplace Money series, we follow Tiffany and Mike, an engaged couple embarking on the journey of marrying their finances. We follow the couple's economic union up to the wedding date on Sept. 1.
A new study says that if you're trying to curb your appetite for spending, you might be making yourself more vulnerable to other urges down the road. Tess Vigeland talks to professor and consumer researcher Ron Faber, who co-authored the study.
If you've ever had your credit card mysteriously shut down because the company wants to protect you against fraud, you'll know this can burn you. Tess Vigeland sits down with analyst Ted Crooks to talk about fraud and "suspicious" activity.
Biologics are the most expensive pharmaceuticals on the market, but you never see them advertised. This week, the FDA announced more research is needed for possible cheaper generic versions. Andrea Smardon reports.
Allowances can be a tricky subject. How much should you give your kids, or should you give them any money at all? Ashley Milne-Tyte finds out what some parents are doing.
Our economics editor Chris Farrell answers your burning money questions. This week, advice on going into foreclosure, selling stock, and protecting teenagers from identity theft.
There are more billionaires in the world now than ever. And as you can imagine, they need a lot of help to stay rich. We hang out with an essential member of a billionaire's support team: the wallet guardian.
A very different car rally took off from Washington, D.C., on its way to Costa Rica. It's called the Greaseball Challenge. It features cars running on restaurants' old grease and oil.
Midnight Saturday is the deadline to report first-quarter contributions for the presidential campaigns. It's also a big part of the PR fight. As Steve Henn reports, raising a lot of money early can help build momentum.
Big-city newspapers may be having their problems, but small community papers are still seen by companies such as News Corp as worthwhile investments. Alisa Roth reports.
The U.S. is slapping tarrifs on imports of some paper products from China — indicating the Bush administration has taken a different approach in its relationship with Beijing. John Dimsdale reports.
Dell says an internal accounting investigation has uncovered evidence of misconduct. And the SEC's poking around the company's books, too. It's enough to make investors nervous. Jeff Tyler reports.
In his recent novel, author Christopher Buckley offers a modest proposal of sorts toward dealing with America's impending Social Security problem — government incentives for suicide. He discusses the idea with Kai Ryssdal.
Uncle Ben, of instant rice fame, isn't just Uncle Ben anymore. In a new marketing campaign, he's now chairman of the board. Amy Scott reports that the makeover is getting mixed reviews.
Brazil's Lula da Silva will visit President Bush at Camp David tomorrow. They've agreed to work together to promote the use of ethanol fuel, but U.S. tariffs on sugar-based ethanol are gumming up negotiations.
The Equal Rights Amendment fell three states short of ratification in 1982, but now it has reemerged as the Women's Equality Amendment. And it still faces plenty of opposition.
That's what they're calling the world's first low-carbon car show. It opens today in Cornwall, England and every vehicle on display is billed as being both non-polluting . . . and sexy.
A study of women in the Navy has found that smokers are less successful in their jobs, especially those who light up daily. Could be all that extra time they spend smoking instead of working.
Prospective buyers are putting the finishing touches on their initial offers for Chrysler today — or not. GM has reportedly pulled out, and other bidders may face strong union resistance.
Qwest, Verizon and AT&T have been granted the right to compete for the federal government's telecom contracts, a decision which propels Qwest into the top-tier providers. The big loser: Sprint.
For 20 years, U.S. companies have been complaining that China gives its companies an unfair competitive advantage in the form of government subsidies. Now it looks like the U.S. might finally be ready to do something about it.
As the movement toward more sustainable living practices grows, so too does the need for standards that'll ensure the products on our shelves really are "greener."
A family reunion in Oklahoma not too long ago made commentator Amelia Tyagi realize that whether you think the middle class is getting squeezed depends on where you live.
The House passed its 2008 budget resolution today with boosts in spending for education, health care and national security. Oh, and a $50 billion question mark. Hillary Wicai reports.
Chrysler has struck a deal with Sirius to offer kid-friendly channels like Disney and Nicklodeon on some of its 2008 models. Why would two struggling companies make such a deal? Helen Palmer reports.
A company named OPI, one of the world's largest makers of nail polish, says it's removing chemicals that could be harmful. Jeff Tyler headed out to a salon to file this report.
Many New Orleans residents left for good after Hurricane Katrina, but some people are settling there for the first time — like Melanie Peeples, who gave us a first-person look and the struggles — and joys.
Thousands of people get fired from their jobs every day. There's a new documentary on Showtime tonight about the experience of getting the heave-ho. John Brady has a review.
Swimmers get plenty of attention during the Olympics but, otherwise, the sport suffers from four-year dry spells. Our business-of-sports analyst Diana Nyad's been watching coverage of the World Swimming Championships.
President Bush and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently addressed the nation's wage and income disparities. Steve Tripoli reports on some new analysis that shows those gaps are widening.
The U.S. has poured $4 billion into stopping the Colombian drug trade, and it's worked — except that smugglers have found an easy path though neighboring Venezuela since it cut political ties with America and stopped cooperating.
The U.S. — which previously led the world in technological innovation — has slipped all the way to No. 7, according rankings put out by the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Tiger Woods is the most marketable active athlete by a long shot — and he still will be five years from now, according to a survey of sports business and media execs. So what is it that makes him the gold standard of sports endorsement?
Bankruptcy could be just around the corner for New Century Financial, but other lenders are making money buying and selling subprime loans it issued — a profitable fee-collecting game as long as they unload the loans before borrowers default.
Beijing comes under new criticism today for its steadily-rising defense budget. And that's just on the surface. It's accused of an aggressive military build-up: unknown amounts of weapons purchases and research not included in the official budget.
Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger talks about what he's doing with the keys to the Magic Kingdom. The latest in our Conversations from the Corner Office series.
A U.S. envoy is in India this week, hoping to sell that country's substantial youth population on the merits of an American education — one they may soon be able to get without even leaving India.
Burger King says it's going to start getting eggs from free-range hens and pork from free-range pigs. Trouble is, there isn't enough free-range stuff to go around. Alisa Roth reports.
The recent boom in private equity transactions has been criticized by some analysts as unsustainable. But economist and commentator Glenn Hubbard wonders about that.
Subprime mortgages are getting all the bad press. But other kinds of subprime borrowing — from credit cards to fast-cash — are just as common, leaving more Americans paying more for loans. Steve Tripoli reports.
The Poynter Institute released a study today all about how people read newspapers. And it may explain why many papers are getting a makeover. Lyn Millner reports.
Negotiators are scrambling to hammer out a huge free-trade deal with South Korea by week's end that would be the biggest trade agreement for the U.S. since NAFTA in 1993. But it has plenty of critics. John Dimsdale reports.
Some of Morocco's most-ripped-off artists have been developing new ways to beat the bad guys who counterfeit their movie and music disks. John Laurenson reports.
The once high-flying Circuit City chain announced a major restructuring plan. It will replace more than 3,000 employees with people who'll work for less. Amy Scott reports.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was on Capitol Hill today, where everybody wanted to know whether he thought the subprime market will torpedo the rest of the economy.
The burger chain says it will start buying 2% of its eggs and 10% of its pork from suppliers who don't cage the animals. Doesn't sound like much, but it's a significant philosophical change — and BK says it'll use more as supply becomes available.
Negotiators are sprinting towards a free trade agreement with South Korea before the President's fast-track authority deadline. And the clock's ticking louder now that Chevron and other U.S. companies have threatened to withdraw support.
Hard choices have to be made as Congress hammers out a new budget, but Robert Reich wonders why lawmakers aren't throwing more cash NASA's way to protect us from planetary destruction — and why other countries aren't pitching in.
As more and more U.S. cities and corporations sign agreements to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, there's one lingering question: Is it working? Federal scientists are developing a new modeling tool to find out.
Results of a new study suggest that eating a lot of beef during pregnancy may adversely affect fertility of boys in the womb. Researchers found that the more beef the mother ate, the lower her son's sperm count later in life.
Nanotechnology has already quietly influenced hundreds of consumer products, but now Britain's top scientific advisory body is calling for more research on potential hazards of the fast-growing and profitable industry.
Generally, only successful experiments are published in scientific journals, so researchers spend a lot of time repeating ones that fail. But now one professor and his students are breaking tradition and publishing all their findings online.
AT&T is working with four major banks so that their customers can check their accounts and pay bills from their cell phones. And there won't even be extra fees — at least initially.
Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger talks about what he's doing with the keys to the Magic Kingdom. The latest in our Conversations From the Corner Office series.
Many scientists are urging the White House to toughen U.S. smog standards. Sarah Gardner reports on growing concerns over our dirty skies and how ethanol's become part of the search for a solution.
An upstart service in New York that shuttles travelers between Manhattan and JFK Airport is thriving, even though it charges the highest per-mile rate in the city. Jason Paur checked it out.
Iran's asking customers to pay for its oil in Euros. Some have already started. Marketplace's Jeff Tyler discusses what it might mean if traders start pulling out the Euros to pay for crude.
Some analysts are now saying publicly what others have been thinking: There's got to be a wider economic impact before the housing slump is over. Amy Scott reports.
A report says a government document meant to keep terrorists from buying stuff in the U.S. is being used by businesses to deny services to innocent people. Janet Babin reports.
Democrats unveiled an initiative that would force the U.S. to include worker protections in trade deals — a move that could sink some White House free trade aspirations in Latin America. Dan Grech reports.
The Supreme Court takes up a case today that could have big implications on Wall Street. Investment banks are accused of conspiring to inflate IPO prices during the '90s dot-com boom and subsequent bust. And a whole lotta money hangs in the balance.
Biologics are among the most expensive drugs in the world — in part because the government has never cleared a path to allow generic drugmakers to compete. That could soon change, but there are safety roadblocks ahead.
Democrats are unveiling an initiative today that would force the U.S. to include worker protections in future trade deals — a move that could sink some of the White House's free trade aspirations in Latin America.
Turns out early forecasts calling for lackluster sales of Vista may have been off. Microsoft has released the first sales figures for its new operating system and they're not too shabby.
Washington is offering billions in incentives to get utility companies to build a new wave of nuclear reactors to meet growing energy demands. The companies are lining up for the subsidies, but investors and consumers are weary.
A House subcommittee meets today to consider the Pentagon's $10 billon request for the next phase of our missile defense system. That includes a sizeable chunk to repair seven missile silos ruined by rain last year.
As some economists worry that U.S. housing troubles could trigger a full-scale global financial crisis, Britain's home builders are still enjoying a robust market. And now two of the biggest are joining forces.
Theranostics will use micro-ray technology to pinpoint proteins in individual cancer patients to help doctors decide what drugs will be most effective — an innovation borne of a joint effort from the non- and for-profit worlds.
The Supreme Court is deciding whether consumer prices should be set by manufacturers or retailers. As Amy Scott reports, Wall Street's keeping its eye on the case.
A new report claims that stents don't work as well as drugs in preventing heart disease. The news was enough to move the markets. Helen Palmer has the story.
President Bush met with the Big Three to talk about flex-fuel cars. But some say fuel economy standards need to be regulated for flex-fuel efforts to be effective. Sam Eaton reports.
To increase profits, Citigroup is reportedly planning to cut 15,000 jobs. Analysts say this is a much-needed step by the company to become more efficient. Alisa Roth reports.
New home sales fell in the first quarter, according to the Commerce Department. But as Janet Babin reports, in order to understand the housing market, there's a bigger picture to consider.
After decades of hostilities in Northern Ireland, two sides have agreed to govern together. Stephen Beard reports that economics had a lot to do with the decision.
Among the many factors that go into the price of gas, one that isn't taken into account enough in the U.S. is temperature. Jamie Court says we need to make some adjustments.
While auto makers are having trouble selling their cars, the Ferrari has the unique problem of having too many customers to satisfy. Kai Ryssdal explores the problem in a Ferrari 599 with car critic Dan Neil.
Realtors and sellers have discovered online video sites as a powerful new tool in a housing market that's increasingly friendly to buyers — and it's a trend that's saving everyone time.
Are they just out to make a quick buck? A growing political backlash is taking form in Europe as deep-pocketed hedge funds and private equity groups continue to buy up companies and sell off their parts.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is going out of his way to cut the U.S. out of the picture as he nationalizes his country's oil industry — all the way to China.
The price of oil has shot up over $63 a barrel, the highest this year. And given the current political landscape and reduction in global inventories, we can probably expect prices above $60 for the foreseeable future.
The Supreme Court hears a case today that could change the rules of retail. It'll decide whether manufacturers or stores have the right to set the minimum price of products we buy.
Newsweek's Allan Sloan says the private equity superstars at The Blackstone Group only stand to win when the company goes public, but the outcome isn't so clear for investors who want to buy in.
The Employee Free Choice Act is designed to make it easier for workers to form unions. It's already passed the House but faces the threat of a filibuster in the Senate.
