There's not a whole lot of good news coming out of corporate America these days. But a new survey out this week does show one bright spot. Danielle Karson reports.
In our continuing series about estate planning, we're talking to people who deal with death on a regular basis. In this installment, we hear from someone who provides spiritual counseling to families, Rabbi Gary Oren.
Tess Vigeland and Chris Farrell take on all sorts of questions from listeners concerned about how their financial holdings might be affected by the nation's volatile banking situation.
Some Americans are giving their employers an interest-free loan, whether they know it or not. It's all thanks to the "float" — the time it takes for 401k contributions to move out of your paycheck and into your retirement account. Rico Gagliano reports.
An implicit federal government guarantee backing up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac became an explicit one this week. Will it be enough? Professor Anthony Sanders of Arizona State University fills us in.
With the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's takeover of IndyMac Bank, we went to its headquarters as depositors waited in line to withdraw their funds. We took some of their questions and posed them to banking consultant Bert Ely.
Host Kai Ryssdal, who's been talking to experts about oil this week, speaks today with oil analyst Ruchir Kadakia about OPEC's standing in the oil world these days.
A rescue plan is in the works for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but again today stock prices rose for both. And hoping to head off a government takeover, Freddie Mac is looking to sell $5.5 billion in stock. John Dimsdale sorts things out.
IBM, which had strong second-quarter earnings, is known as an indicator for the health of tech stocks. Then why did other tech giants fall flat? Janet Babin has the story.
San Francisco-based Levi's, which used to tailor its 501 jeans for varying body sizes, will market one standard cut and style around the world to cut costs. Nancy Marshall Genzer has more.
In Beijing now, new rules can close businesses in Olympic "safety zones." But as Scott Tong reports, seemingly overnight rule changes are nothing new in China when it comes to business.
Bratz dolls have been tugging at the market share of Mattel's Barbie for years, but a court ruling could earn Mattel royalties on the Bratz line or even total control of the brand. Steve Henn reports.
One third of Beijing's population are migrant workers who've come from the countryside in search of better wages, and when they arrive, they don't always get along with their fellow city dwellers. Lisa Chow reports.
As the demand for truck drivers increases, more drivers who don't speak the required amount of English have made it to the road. Now the government is planning to crack down. Dan Grech reports.
In South Africa, a part of town infamous for its politics and activism is being transformed into a retail mecca — and residents are buying it up. Gretchen Wilson reports.
Commodity and transport costs have become too much for Coca-Cola, which announced plans to up its prices soon to offset increased production costs. Sam Eaton reports.
High gas prices have made areas where it's easy to walk around increasingly popular. What does all that foot traffic mean for local businesses? Mitchell Hartman reports.
Oil prices went down, financial reports weren't as grim as expected, even the bank sector looked a bit better today. Amy Scott asks what's up with the predictions of gloom.
Electronic Arts is about to release a new life-simulation game called Spore that takes players from a single-cell organism to interplanetary societies. GamePro Media's George Jones explains to Kai Ryssdal.
Experts use complicated formulas to predict the future price of oil. But commentator Justin Wolfers says he's got a simple do-it-yourself method that works even better.
You may not hear a lot about it, but Russia is second only to Saudi Arabia in oil production. And, as Russia analyst Nicholas Redman tells Kai Ryssdal, it may have a greater potential for growth.
Owners of three National Football League teams are looking to make deals that will get them out of complicated financial situations. Host Kai Ryssdal talks with Sports Business Journal's Daniel Kaplan about whether the owners will get thrown for a loss.
With 2,000 left-of-center bloggers descending on Austin, Texas, this week for a gathering called Netroots Nation, we asked Marketplace's John Dimsdale to look into whether political blogging has profit-making potential.
Anti-malarial drugs can be so expensive that people with the disease go untreated. Former President Bill Clinton's foundation has struck a deal that would limit the cost of the drugs. Janet Babin reports.
Many depositors with the troubled IndyMac bank had to wait in line for hours this week to get their money out. They finally got cashiers checks, but it turns out other banks aren't in a hurry to cash them. Jeff Tyler reports.
JPMorgan and its peers had lousy quarters, but bank stocks are on the rise today. Why? Because things weren't quite as bad as everybody guessed they'd be. Steve Henn explains.
U.S. free speech protections make it difficult to win a libel case, so more plaintiffs are practicing libel tourism — suing overseas in a court friendlier to their cases. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
If you had your money invested in vintage champagne, you'd be tempted to pop open a few bottles. Why is the bubbly stuff outperforming major financial indexes? Stephen Beard reports.
High oil prices are driving up demand for natural gas, meaning some customers could be spending as much as 40 percent more to heat their homes this winter. Mitchell Hartman reports.
The House is pursuing legislation that would push oil companies to drill on land they own but haven't tapped yet, before purchasing any new oil leases. Sam Eaton reports.
The Agriculture Department wants to open up conservation land for grazing and hay production, a move environmental groups say could harm wildlife. Renita Jablonski reports.
Officials in Amsterdam have a vision for the future of the city's Red Light District: One that plays down the area's most famous trade. Brett Neely reports.
Most political candidates now fund their campaigns through what are called "leadership political action committees." In the first part of a special series, Steve Henn explains how those PACs work in the presidential election.
Commentator Robert Reich says "The Great Moderation" of the last two decades led Americans to think we didn't need much by way of social insurance. But now, he says, a radical economic swing is back and we should react to it.
In his continuing series of interviews on oil prices, host Kai Ryssdal talks with Fareed Mohamedi of PFC Energy about how Nigeria's production of about 2 million barrels of crude a day affects what we pay at the gas pump.
Republican lawmakers have helped override a presidential veto on Medicare, and they've called for more time to consider the Treasury Department's plan to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports on the GOP rebelliousness.
The SEC decision to crack down on an especially risky variety of short-selling — naked shorting — has prompted a big debate on Wall Street about how much shorting, naked or otherwise, ought to be allowed. Alisa Roth reports.
Today's report that inflation at the consumer level shot up more than 1% last month, due mostly to skyrocketing energy prices, puts the Federal Reserve in a tough spot. Jeff Tyler explains.
Militant groups are walking away with thousands of barrels oil a day in Nigeria and Britain is offering to help the government take on the thieves. Stephen Beard reports.
Rising gas prices have some budget-conscious families trading a night on the town for a night at home in front of a game console. Jean-Luc Renault reports.
JibJab has transformed its animated political satire into a brand, taking it from a tiny corner of the Internet all the way to The Tonight Show. Jeff Tyler reports.
With oil prices hovering near all-time highs, energy companies and Congress are taking another look at the potential of nuclear power. Janet Babin reports.
In the coming years, the U.S. will need hundreds of thousands of good minds to fill positions in math and the sciences. Commentator Will Wilkinson says that may require us to look beyond our own shores.
Wikipedia is famously the encyclopedia that anybody can update, but its founders may have to make a few edits of their own — to the site's business model. Renita Jablonski reports.
Taking another look at the oil industry's affect on price hikes, host Kai Ryssdal discusses the problems President Hugo Chavez has caused for Venezuela's once impressive oil companies.
Twenty-nine years ago today, President Jimmy Carter told Americans that the energy crisis was "a clear and present danger to our nation" and drew out a plan to address it. Sustainability reporter Sam Eaton asks what happened.
Selling tickets at the last minute for an inflated price has been moving from the stadium parking lot to Internet sites like StubHub. Nancy Farghalli talks to scalpers outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
For most of the world, the soaring costs of raw materials, such as copper, steel and timber, are an economic burden. For Africa, they can be a blessing. Commentator Edward Miguel tells us why.
While looting continues in already plundered Zimbabawe, a search is on for the millions of dollars believed to have been funneled out of the country. Stephen Beard reports.
Rubbermaid, the company that makes those see-through food containers you can never find the lids for, is going to phase out some products and raise prices on others. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on the cost-saving measures.
The struggling automaker is cutting costs by $10 billion, laying off white-collar workers and getting rid of health-care benefits for salaried retirees. Alisa Roth reports on what GM's CEO calls a "focus on liquidity."
The Treasury Secretary and Fed Chairman faced heated questioning at a Congressional hearing today, as they laid out the government's plan to shore up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. John Dimsdale reports.
Economic fears have driven the dollar to a new low against the euro and a weak dollar makes everything we buy from overseas more expensive, including oil. Steve Henn reports.
With numbers of flyers at an all-time high and many veteran controllers preparing to retire, the FAA is making its pitch for more air traffic controllers anywhere young people will listen. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Despite the government's best efforts to bolster Fannie Mae and Fredie Mac, some investors aren't convinced. Host Scott Jagow asks investor Jim Rogers what the markets are looking for from Fannie and Freddie.
Dockworkers and shipping companies are hard at work replacing their expired contract. Both sides are eager to avoid another shutdown, which could cost the industry billions. Jeff Tyler reports.
The mortgage industry may have dodged a bullet, but choosing the right time to buy a home still seems like a guessing game. Commentator Lyn Millner says her attempts have brought nothing but more confusion.
So far, the credit crunch doesn't seem to have trickled down to demand for luxury goods and that news that has the British fashion group Burberry and its investors smiling. Stephen Beard reports.
A new billion-dollar Yankee Stadium is going up across the street from the old one in the Bronx, but some are worried the neighborhood will end up striking out on the deal. Sally Herships reports.
A new study suggests that global warming could increase the incidence of kidney stones, causing physical pain for some and economic pain for the rest of us. Janet Babin reports.
Merrill Lynch is just one of the banks reporting results soon and expectations aren't good. Merrill and others are reportedly looking at selling off assets to balance things out. Amy Scott reports.
You know the little green gecko in the Geiko commercial? Well its real-life model has an amazing ability to attach its toes to any surface, then easily peel them off. Janet Babin reports on the commercial promise of that gecko talent.
The combination of private and public ownership makes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hybrids, and that, says commentator Amity Shlaes, is a big part of the problem. It might be heresy to some, but she thinks nationalizing them is the answer.
