At a conference for programmers of applications for the social-networking website Facebook, the excitement seems eerily similar to a period about 10 years ago.
Contributing to your 401(k) and taking advantage of your company's matching funds is a retirement investment fundamental. Economics editor Chris Farrell says to remember the Marketplace Money Mantra: "Diversify, diversify, diversify."
New guidelines from the Labor Department instruct companies to automatically enroll employees in 401(k) plans. Lisa Napoli speaks with David Wray, president of the Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America about the implications.
Would you celebrate the anniversary of your birth by preparing for your death? Lisa Napoli learns how to get her affairs in order with some help from her family.
Fly-by-night costume shops land in empty storefronts about this time every year. They hawk their hats and their brooms. And by the time November rolls around they've disappeared. Caitlan Carroll reports the amount of cash they take with them is almost frightening.
At the World Series, advertisers aren't the only ones getting more savvy at making their products friendly to consumers. Commentator Glenn Rifkin says, just like Chevy, the Boston Red Sox have been polishing up their brand.
Many towns and cities in the Southeast, including Atlanta, are months away from completely running out of water. Sam Eaton reports the economic fallout is only beginning.
Have you noticed that all the big grocery chains seem to be going upscale? Which is why the Dutch conglomerate that owns the Giant Food chain here in the states is renovting 100 of its stores. Steve Henn reports the facelifts are long overdue.
Former Treasury Secy. John Snow says he doubts that a so-called superfund set up by big banks to cushion the mortgage meltdown is going to work. Kai Ryssdal talked with Reuters columnist James Saft to find out why not.
Despite Countrywide's $1.2 billion loss in the 3rd quarter, its CEO says the black ink is about to start flowing again. That word sent its shares soaring. Steve Tripoli reports on whether people bidding up those shares are drinking more than their share of the Kool-Aid.
New technologies, materials and techniques are allowing designers to create the next generation of environmentally friendly buildings. Lisa Napoli tours a totally green home to see what happens when modern design and eco-consciousness meet.
Visa and the NFL team up to teach financial skills to a generation of gamers. Jeff Tyler heads to the Superdome in New Orleans to try his hand at Financial Football.
Argentinian presidential candidate Cristina Kirchner's biggest political hurdles have more to do with strong economic growth than any opponents. Rachel Hopkin reports.
The heirs of the A&P supermarket fortune claim a $35 million donation given to Princeton University by their parents in 1961 wasn't used for its intended purpose. Jeremy Hobson reports on the court case that would determine if they can get the money back.
The annual Bisbee's Black & Blue sportfishing tournament attracts competitors wealthy enough to shrug off a $70,000 registration fee, or drop $1 million on a gold-encrusted lure. Dan Grech has more.
While most investment banks are struggling, Goldman Sachs is doing well enough to promote 299 employees to managing director. Amy Scott deciphers the true meaning behind the title.
Video-conferencing technology has had a reputation of being choppy at best. But Jill Barshay reports a new wave of "telepresence" systems are good enough to convince some companies not to spend money on plane tickets.
Although it was below $87 a barrel this week, oil shot up to a record $92 a barrel this morning in Europe. Stephen Beard explores what's behind this latest spike.
Apple released the new operating system "Leopard" today, which allows easy switches between Windows and Mac applications. Alisa Roth reports this may encourage sales of Macs, which make up only 10 percent of computer purchases.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts may be a nonprofit, but CEO Reynold Levy still needs to "sell" the business to grow in a competitive market. He discusses enterprising in the second part of his interview with Kai Ryssdal.
Europe spends considerably less on defense than the United States does. And when Europeans do spend, says commentator David Frum, it's not always very wisely.
A special election on Nov. 6 in Oregon will determine the future of billboards along the state's well-traveled roads, where such signage has been tightly controlled for years. Ethan Lindsey reports.
The FCC is considering a request to require Internet service providers like AOL to forward your e-mail to whichever new account you're using now. Declan McCullagh at CNET explains why that might not be as logical as it sounds.
The Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Charles Rangel, has introduced a tax-reform bill that would lower taxes for 91 million families and overhaul the entire tax code to the tune of almost a trillion dollars. Steve Henn reports.
Congressional Democrats have issued an economic report on the mortgage meltdown and called for the Bush administration to prevent 2 million foreclosures in the next two years. But not all economists agree with the fine print. Jill Barshay reports.
The United States has announced new economic pressures on Iran, with sanctions on banks, companies and military units. But, John Dimsdale reports, the White House can't go it alone in making the sanctions work.
Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, has shown mastery at tapping the resources of New York City to fund his nonprofit institution. He talks with host Kai Ryssdal in our Conversations From the Corner Office.
A group of senators is trying to stop the FCC from further loosening media ownership rules. Jeremy Hobson reports why some believe the restrictions are still relevant, despite a growing trend towards online news.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy wants to create a Mediterranean Union along the lines of its European counterpart. But critics of the proposed union think it won't fundamentally work with some of the countries involved. Megan Williams has more.
Urban areas in lower and middle-income countries are growing fast, and the conditions of the slums are enough to call for humanitarian efforts. Gretchen Wilson gives us the story from one such area in Johannesburg.
Russian oil investor Mikhail Khodorkovsky is at the half-way point of his prison sentence for fraud and tax evasion, according to the government. Geoff Brumfiel reports why Russian businesses prosper if they're close in line with Putin.
Congress is projecting losses of over $100 billion in housing wealth from the subprime mortgage crisis, and not all of that comes from foreclosures. Jeremy Hobson reports a good chunk of loss comes from falling property values.
Right after Lisa Napoli was hired as a reporter for Marketplace, she went searching for apartments close by. The first one she saw — and ended up keeping — was across the street.
Over half a million people have left their homes to flee the threat of wildfires in Southern California. But despite the largest evacuation in the state's history, donations haven't exactly been flooding in. Jill Barshay reports.
Microsoft paid $250 million for a small stake in Facebook, winning out over websites like Google. But while Facebook expects $150 million in revenue this year, Google projects the site's value at $15 billion. Renita Jablonski tells us why.
Last spring, a Boston furniture company offered to refund the purchase price of whatever people bought — if the Red Sox won the World Series. Game 1 is tonight.
The five-year renewal of the farm bill is before a Senate committee, loaded with almost $300 billion in subsidies and programs. And once again it's stirring debate over the government's role in putting food on the table. John Dimsdale reports.
It's almost impossible to find staples like bread or rice in Zimbabwe. With inflation officially at 6,000%, supermarkets have stopped stocking shelves. And that's forcing people to travel hundreds of miles and across the border to buy groceries. Gretchen Wilson reports.
Microsoft has announced it's going to buy 1.5% of the social networking site Facebook for $240 million — beating out Google for the prize. Kai Ryssdal did some networking with venture capitalist Todd Dagres, asking him to size up the deal.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the tab for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could run as high as $2.4 trillion. And an analyst says that might be conservative. Steve Henn reports.
The latest official estimate on losses to the Southern California wildfires stands at $1 billion. And that's just in property damage. Still, the odd result in the long run may be an economic shot-in-the-arm. Bob Moon reports.
Merrill Lynch wrote down almost $8 billion dollars in loans and other credit-related investments today — its first quarterly loss in almost six years and almost $3 billion more than it predicted a couple of weeks ago. Amy Scott reports.
North Dakota has one U.S. senator for every 318,000 residents. California has one for every 18 million people. Commentator Jonathan Chait says that disparity is just one reason why farm policy doesn't really change.
Merrill Lynch turned in its first quarterly loss in six years, and the write-downs are a few billion dollars larger than expected. Jeremy Hobson reports big bets on mortgage-related securities are partially to blame.
The price of pasta has been at a record high, thanks to the soaring cost of wheat. But Megan Williams reports there may be some internal colluding amongst pasta producers at the root of the rise.
While the U.S. economy struggles to maintain its composure after the mortgage crisis, some companies find they can use it to their benefit. Dan Grech looks at a fast-growing company on the other side of the debacle.
Congress wants to prevent inflated natural gas prices from investment manipulation, along the lines of what happened with hedge-fund Amaranth. But some say the government shouldn't have to look so closely over investors' shoulders. Amy Scott reports.
The House is considering a bill that would set new standards for lending practices in hopes of eradicating issues that caused mortgage crisis. Jeremy Hobson has more.
The Colorado Rockies want to commemorate entry into the World Series by trademarking the month of "Rocktober" But the word is a valued marketing pun with several classic rock stations. Rico Gagliano has more.
As Wall Street remembers the anniversary of Black Thursday, it's not difficult to see some similarities between today's market and the one from the Depression era. Alisa Roth looked into it.
Congress is looking into why credit-rating agencies gave high ratings to securities backed by subprime mortgages. Commentator Robert Reich says the answer is clear.
Rising construction costs and concerns over global warming legislation have caused utilities to cancel plans for 16 new coal-fired power plants in recent months. Instead, they're opting for something much cheaper — conservation. Sam Eaton reports.
Sometimes it's not how much you pay but where you find things. Commentator Mary Annette Pember says for Native Americans, the town dump has historically been a key part of the economy.
The Bush Administration has had a difficult time fully prosecuting organizations accused of financing terrorism. Kai Ryssdal talks with Dennis Lormel, who ran the FBI's terrorist financing task force, about uncovering these funding networks.
The insurance bill from the Southern California wildfires could total into the billions of dollars. Will that change how we live? Kai Ryssdal asked Martin Grace, a professor of risk management, what he thinks.
In an effort to attract highly skilled immigrant workers, the European Union is proposing its version of the U.S. "green card" visa. It would offer faster approval and employment guarantees. And it has U.S. businesses worried. Dan Grech reports.
The Labor Department has announced new rules that make it easier for companies to automatically enroll workers in retirement plans like 401k's. And the government will favor investments that take some risks. Sarah Gardner reports.
Countrywide Financial Corp. is promising to reach out to 82,000 of its borrowers and refinance or modify around $16 billion in home loans. Consumer advocates say it's about time. Bob Moon reports.
A group is lobbying for Congress to legalize Internet poker, essentially reversing a ban on online gambling. Jeremy Hobson looks into whether or not it could be in the cards.
The E.U. is unveiling a "Blue Card" program in an effort to better retain its pool of skilled foreign workers. Kyle James juxtaposes Europe's new work visa with the U.S. Green Card.
Cafe patrons in colder regions of Germany enjoy outdoor meals with the help of gas-powered heat lamps. But a proposed bill could ban the heaters, which can emit as much CO2 as a small car. Brett Neely reports.
Airline passengers at JFK airport are used to waiting an hour for take-off — while boarded on the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration is stepping in to try to fix the problem. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Mafia activity may be declining in the U.S., but in Italy it's a large part of the economy. Rome correspondent Megan Williams explains to Scott Jagow how mobsters are still exerting control.
The Miami Dolphins and New York giants will play their first regular-season game at Wembley Stadium in London. Jeremy Hobson reports this could be a way to invite U.S. football overseas.
If you're in the market for new web service, you may be privvy to some attractive prices. Bob Moon reports why the competition for new broadband subscribers is becoming more intense.
WARNING: Listening to audio books and not Kai Ryssdal while driving could result in you crashing your car…. A public service announcement from the Marketplace Players.
Agriculture policy is tough enough, but what if every seven years farmers just stopped farming and took a nice, long break to let their land lie fallow. Just such an agricultural sabbatical began recently in Israel. But Daniel Estrin reports the devil is in the details.
The United States has asked the World Trade Organization to investigate Chinese restrictions on American movies and other media. It's the fourth WTO dispute between the two countries this year. Scott Tong reports on the battle for the box office.
Allied-Baltic Rubber in Strasburg, Ohio, supplies parts to General Motors, and business hasn't been good for the last three years as GM has sought further price reductions. Amanda Rabinowitz reports.
A lot of recent homebuyers are losing equity in their homes as the housing market fades. Commentator and economist Austan Goolsbee says if you're one of them, it's time to face reality.
California is scheduled to sell $7 billion worth of bonds to investors this week, while Ohio is offering more than $5 billion of its debt for sale. This could be the start of more such deals in the near future. Amy Scott explains.
Brazil used to be one of the world's most indebted countries. But thanks to surging commodity prices and better fiscal management it's now sitting on a pile of cash — and looking for places to spend it. Dan Grech reports.
After nine years of legal fights and about $1.5 billion in legal fees, Microsoft has conceded defeat to the European Union in its antitrust case. Jill Barshay has the executive suummary.
Despite allegations of cheating from main competitor AMD, the Federal Trade Commission will not be investigating microprocessor maker Intel for its methods of dominating the market. But AMD won't give up there. Jeremy Hobson reports.
China has given itself a 15-year deadline to put a man on the moon. But before it reaches for the sky, it wants to use its power to get ahead in a tech industry on Earth. Bill Marcus has more.
Recent polls show U.S. confidence in foreign trade is down drastically from five years ago. Commentator Will Wilkinson pegs the decline on consumers' preoccupation with all that could go wrong.
Former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano is the first winner of the Mo Ibrahim prize, worth $5 million. The award also serves to motivate good governance. Eleanor Beardsley has more.
