It may be counterintuitive that the mere act of giving money away will make your bank balance grow. But Syracuse University economist Arthur Brooks says that's exactly what happens. He talks with Kai Ryssdal.
Americans generate an extra 25 million tons of trash from Thanksgiving to New Year's. The lights, the trees and all the wrapping paper really add up. But there may be ways to trim the waste and stay jolly as ever. Caitlan Carroll reports.
Over the past couple of decades more wealthy American families have set up charitable foundations. And for many of them succession is proving to be a sticky issue. Alex Schmidt reports.
The Senate today passed a bill that would allow the federal government to back larger refinanced loans and help first-time borrowers. The bill's supporters are hoping it will jump-start the sagging housing market. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
The world's biggest bank has done something very unusual. It has voluntarily taken $49 billion in potential liabilities and put them on its balance sheet. Jill Barshay reports.
What do you get when you mix investing in your town with the feel of the stock market? Tess talks to Tom Anderson about muni bond exchange-traded funds.
With freelancing and consulting on the rise, Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte learns about the growing movement among the self-employed to get more than just a paycheck.
The Fed is making changes to one of Chris Farrell's favorite investments and he's not going to take it sitting down. Chris sets the story straight on savings bonds.
It's not just mortgage holders that suffer when they can't make their payments. Tess talks to Aleksandra Todorova about what happens when your landlord can't pay the bills.
The Fed, the White House and Congress have all put forward their plans to clean up the mortgage mess. Marketplace's Bob Moon asks if any of it will do the trick.
Disagreeing on the economic effects of Bolivian President Evo Morales' new constitution, five of the country's provinces are threatening to become autonomous. Dan Grech explores issues the potential for this to create violence.
A Home Depot contest for a $25,000 gift card asks contestants for a video showing how they would use it. Lisa Napoli reports videos are getting plenty of hits on YouTube, and Home Depot's getting lots of free advertising.
Democratic donation Web site ActBlue wants to extend its campaigns beyond candidates to include unions and corporations. Congress will decide today whether or not they can. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
With award campaigns for Golden Globes underway, a nomination from a critic's association can be essential. Doug Krizner talks to Variety's Mike Speier about which critics' associations audiences will listen to and why.
Analysts are projecting pay raises to go up about the same amount they did the past year. But Ashley Milne-Tyte reports the pay-for-performance factor is becoming increasingly important in determining bonuses.
From a team that can't stop winning to federal court cases, the drama in the NFL has made for some very compelling TV. Business of sports commentator Diana Nyad recaps the season with Scott Jagow.
Easing JetBlue's continuous struggle, German airline Lufthansa is buying 19 percent of the carrier. JetBlue will get $300 million, but what about Lufthansa? Scott Jagow talks to Doug McVitie of Arran Aerospace.
Nonprofits are using online auctions and social networks to increase giving. And they're learning that sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot more. Janet Babin reports.
Commentator Hunter Lewis says there's more the United States can do to make giving more affordable. All that's needed is a little change to the tax code.
The city of New Orleans is planning to demolish four huge public housing developments to make way for new, more expensive buildings. Activists say the new New Orleans may not be making enough room for the poor. Jeff Tyler reports.
Congress and the White House are still trying to come to terms on a deal to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax. Both taxpayers and the IRS are caught in the middle. Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland talks with Kai Ryssdal about problems ahead.
About 50 million of us contribute to 401(k)s. But returns can vary widely, in part because of the fees we pay to plan administrators. Today the Labor Department proposed some new rules. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The federal fiscal year started more than two months ago but Congress still hasn't passed 11 of the 12 spending bills to fund the government. And that's not the only economic legislation that's going nowhere. Jill Barshay reports.
Former Senator George Mitchell's report on illegal drug use in Major League Baseball was released today. Every team in the league had either a player or former player on the list. Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes magazine talked about the report with Kai Ryssdal.
The Labor Department today said that wholesale inflation was at 3.4 percent — the biggest jump since the Vietnam era. But then the guys with the green eye shades came along with a much lower "core rate" that's minus food and energy costs. Why? John Dimsdale reports.
Paramount is skipping theaters and sending Jackass 2.5 straight to the Web. With the low overhead of the new business model, some Hollywood execs wonder if this is the way of the future for films. Jeremy Hobson reports.
While European leaders sign a landmark treaty in Lisbon to create a long-term E.U. president, the union is also teaming up with central banks to lend $110 billion to world money lenders. Megan Williams reports.
For those who are heartbroken to leave the mall, there's another option: an apartment complex with stores built right in. Joal Ryan has more on a growing number of "lifestyle centers" designed to go beyond just shopping.
With Rupert Murdoch set to take control of the Wall Street Journal, rival media companies are making their own moves to stay competitive. Lisa Napoli has more on how networks and newspapers are responding.
A few weeks ago, economics correspondent Chris Farrell told Scott Jagow we should get rid of homeowner tax deductions. Many listeners wrote in wondering if he was nuts. He addressed some of their bigger concerns.
Intended to tap into the fast-growing carbon allowances market, the Green Exchange, a joint venture between the New York Merchantile Exchange and big Wall Street banks, will open early next year. Sarah Gardner reports.
Former Senator George Mitchell releases his steroids report today, which exposes the problem in baseball. But Steve Tripoli reports despite shedding light on the issue, the study won't hurt the sport's bottom line.
A new web ad by Freddie Mac says 25% of homeowners facing foreclosure go to the Internet first when they look for help. Which is, of course, where they get into trouble. Check out the video here.
Some people in the field of grant giving now believe charities can improve their social returns by becoming investors, not just donors. It's an idea called mission investing. Mark Kramer, founder of FSG Consulting, explains it to Kai Ryssdal.
Foundations control about $550 billion worth of charitable assets in the United States. In the next installment of our philanthropy series, we look at how many foundations have taken a page from the for-profit handbook. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
In the Democratic presidential race, the question of whether Americans should be required to buy health insurance is generating increasingly heated rhetoric. But commentator Robert Reich says the candidates ought to just cool it.
Dow Jones shareholders, mainly the Bancroft family, are expected to formally approve the takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp tomorrow. They'll get $5 billion in exchange for giving up the Wall Street Journal. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on what's in store for the companies and the paper.
The Chinese don't drink much apple juice, but they produce two-thirds of the world's supply. This has been a bad year for China's apple crop, which is going to hurt us at the check-out counter. Jeff Tyler reports.
Reserves of heavy oil are estimated to be in the trillions of barrels. But extracting it is a huge and expensive problem. Now, in a study published in the journal Nature, researchers say they might have discovered a cheaper way. Janet Babin reports.
After hearing howls of complaint that it didn't cut interest rates enough, the Federal Reserve announced a plan today to get liquidity liquid again. Marketplace's New York bureau chief Jill Barshay explains, with Kai Ryssdal.
Mortgage applications saw their highest rise last week since 2005. But Jeremy Hobson reports that the number of applications out could mean a need to refinance, as opposed to more people buying new homes.
A congressional hearing will investigate whether it will cost billions more to close military bases than the Pentagon originally projected. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports the Pentagon may be guilty of "fuzzy math."
California has set aside $3 billion for stem-cell research, but a lot of it is currently just sitting around waiting to be used. Janet Babin reports Congress is considering using the cash as "biotech bank" loans.
College women have been able to get discounted birth-control pills at school clinics for 17 years. But new government cutbacks have now pushed up the price from around $10 to close to $50. Caitlan Carroll reports.
While the quarter-point cut from the Fed may have not been the break the market had anticipated, a new facility may be emerging for those still worried about the credit crunch. Doug Krizner talks to Jamie Chisholm from The Financial Times in London.
The truckers' strike in Italy is rolling into day three, and aside from frustrating customers with empty shelves, it's also causing long lines at gas stations. Megan Williams has more.
Despite talk of a recession, the National Restaurant Association says people are eating out more. Jeremy Hobson reports why the restaurant industry has more of an influence now than it did two decades ago.
If you're using AT&T dial-up because it's a cheaper way to access the Internet, you may have a decision to make. The company is set to raise prices as much as 60 percent next month. Adriene Hill has more.
U.S. prosecutors have threatened corporate fraud criminals the NatWest Three with prison sentences longer than those murderers serve in the U.K. Commentator David Frum thinks this is an example of a larger problem.
Looking for a competitive edge in its pursuit of Google, the search company Ask.com is marketing a way to erase the trail of digital bread crumbs you can leave behind. Lisa Napoli reports.
The Hollywood writers strike has halted production of new TV episodes, so NBC has begun giving money back to advertisers who had paid in advance. Other networks may follow. Jeff Tyler reports.
You've probably seen ads about what companies are doing for the environment or for the community. So many companies are jumping on the bandwagon that corporate responsibility has become an industry unto itself. Jill Barshay reports.
Charities are making it easier than ever to give by dropping a dollar at the check-out stand or including a donation in a product's purchase price. Philanthropy consultant Lucy Bernholz tells Kai Ryssdal about the concept called embedded giving.
The federal government wants to limit the number of flights in and out of New York's Kennedy Airport, where frequent delays cause back-ups around the country. Meanwhile, airlines are headed to court to fight a new passenger bill of rights. Alisa Roth reports.
While U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is in Beijing for economic talks, China reported an inflation rate of 6.9% — its highest in 11 years. Analysts say the country has too much cash on hand. Scott Tong reports.
A superfund intended to shore up confidence in Structured Investment Vehicles devastated by the subprime crisis has never caught on with banks. And today Warren Buffet put what's probably the last nail in its coffin. Amy Scott reports.
Mr. Bernanke and his colleagues at the Federal Open Market Committee cut short-term interest rates a quarter of a point today. But Wall Street and everybody else was banking on a half-point cut. Kai Ryssdal has the details.
Despite the cap-and-trade system inspired by the Kyoto Protocol, Europe's greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Sarah Gardner looks into where the scheme may have failed — and where it could still succeed.
Libya's multibillion-dollar deal with France is just one example of how the country is beginning to actively trade with Western countries. Gretchen Wilson reports U.S. oil firms are expectedly attracted.
Concerns over the safety of China-made toys have made business boom for toy makers who can brandish a "Made in the USA" label. Stacey Vanek-Smith has the story of one company entering a busy season.
The life and love of opera star Maria Callas has garnered mystique since her death 30 years ago. Now, those captivated by her story can grab the juicier memorabilia off the auction block. Lisa Napoli has more.
European car maker Fiat is considering building a factory in the U.S. to take advantage of a cheap dollar. Scott Jagow talks to Megan Williams about whether this continental jump could become a wider trend.
A small group of banks will be giving customers the option to charge an extra penny on their credit card to donate to United Way of America. Jeremy Hobson reports why pennies could amount to more than nickels.
With the spikes in oil prices there has also been a jump in the number of oil investors. The Senate is wondering if speculation could be the cause of high prices. John Dimsdale reports.
The AFL-CIO hosted a conference in Washington that considered the critically low number of workers in unions and the need for improved benefits. Jeremy Hobson reports on what unions need to regain traction.
Chinese manufacturers are struggling with the rising value of the Chinese yuan, which is making their low-end products more expensive for buyers around the world. And that could mean more iffy Chinese products for Americans. Scott Tong reports.
A small-but-growing source of funding for social entrepreneurs, called "community development venture capital," has helped revive a cannery in a remote Maine community. Steve Tripoli reports in his series on social entrepreneurship.
Analysts say retailers will earn more than $26 billion from gift cards this holiday season, with about a third coming from cash left behind by customers who don't redeem their credits. All the more reason, says commentator Ron Lieber, to spare your loved ones the hassle.
At a U.N. conference on global warming in Bali, the United States is the elephant in the room. Sam Eaton's been following the meeting and discusses the issues with Kai Ryssdal.
It wasn't so long ago McDonald's was suffering on the unfashionably unhealthy end of the food chain. But its fortunes have changed along with its menus. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
An investment company set up by the government of Singapore has bought a nearly $10 billion stake in the Swiss bank UBS, which is reeling from the subprime mess. Other sovereign funds are on a bit of a shopping spree for Western banks as well. Amy Scott reports.
As the Writer's Guild strike passes into week six, TV networks and studios come closer to running out of original material. Steve Henn reports we might all soon be facing a lot more reality programming.
Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner may be taking over for her economically strong husband, but it may take some time for her to build her own fiscal agenda. Rachel Hopkin reports.
An energy bill in the Senate would require public utilities to generate at least 15 percent of their electricity from renewable resources. Lawmakers are arguing it would drive prices up. Sam Eaton has more.
Though on trial today for charges of murder and corruption, some economists credit former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori with helping to develop a still-growing economy. Dan Grech looks into Fujimori's history.
In its latest move to help trade, China has tripled its ceiling on foreign institutional investment. But while the country isn't hurting for investors, Bill Marcus reports there is a need for some U.S. financial advice.
The AFL-CIO is hosting a conference in Washington today that will consider the critically low number of workers in unions and boosting up benefits. Jeremy Hobson reports on what unions need to regain traction.
The threat of a recession has been looming in the mouths of economists for several months now. But Fortune Magazine's Allan Sloan says it's needless for investors to worry about something that won't affect them so soon.
