Host Tess Vigeland reads listener comments on a few of our recent stories. This week: Nationalizing Fannie & Freddie, credit card perks, target date funds and Marketplace Money makes a new friend.
Kiplinger's John Ventura joins host Tess Vigeland a final time in our series about planning for the end. This week: John answers your questions about estate planning.
In this edition of Getting Personal, Chris and Tess talk about securing investments over $100,000, consolidation loans, options for borrowing against your home and record keeping.
Eager to unload that big truck or SUV and start saving at the pump? Not so fast. The cost of dumping your inefficient vehicle may be more than you end up saving. John Dimsdale reports.
Fewer jobs, less health care, pricier food and gas and dependence on the federal government to bail us out in the end. Economics editor Chris Farrell sets the story straight on the state of the economy.
With portfolios flopping and the market fluctuating, it's hard to not be frightened. Host Tess Vigeland talks to columnist Jason Zweig about how to make good decisions despite economic anxiety.
There are a lot of places in this country where the season for fun in the sun can be kind of short. Colorado is one of them. So to truly enjoy the great outdoors you might want to hop in a Jeep with Roger Kirby.
It's been almost a year since Canada agreed to pay nearly $2 billion to survivors of its Indian Residential Schools who suffered physical and sexual abuse. Sean Cole reports on how whether money can truly right a wrong.
The big annual comic conference, Comic-Con, is underway in San Diego. Host Kai Ryssdal talks Joe Field, president of the comic retailer's trade group ComicsPro, about the summer blockbuster movies' impacts on comic book sales.
The number of energy bills Congress has passed comes to exactly zero. So if $4-a-gallon gas and oil at $125 a barrel isn't enough of a crisis to get lawmakers going, what is? Sam Eaton reports.
Stockton, Calif., tops a list of cities with the most home foreclosures, with 1 out of 25 homes in trouble. Host Kai Ryssdal talks with Bob Bressani, Stockton's interim housing director, about why the city has been hit so hard.
Economy have you up for a little escapism? You're not alone. Batman is expected to continue breaking box office records this weekend, and of course the X-files movie opens. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks movies with Variety's Michael Speier.
In a battle for control of one of the world's most valuable resources, billionaire Russian investors have been trying to maneuver control over BP. Bob Moon discusses the struggle for oil power with Stephen Beard.
Foreclosure filings doubled last quarter compared to a year ago. One in every 171 households nationwide is now in some stage of foreclosure. Will the housing bill moving through Congress help? Dan Grech has more.
Yesterday, the federal government tightened regulations meant to discourage killing of sharks in the Gulf and Atlantic just for their fins. Steve Henn reports shark fin soup is one big culprit for hunting of the species.
The ailing British economy played a major role in The Labor Party's crushing defeat in the special election. Now there are more concerns about the future of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Stephen Beard reports.
A University of Michigan researcher found 75 percent of banks he studied had dangerous design flaws in their Web networks that could leave customer data open to cyber-thieves. Mitchell Hartman has more on how to stay safe.
New York City cabbies want to tack a dollar onto every fare to offset oil prices. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission say the answer lies elsewhere. Jessica Lussenhop reports.
Money for gas accounts for a painfully high proportion of some people's paychecks, especially in the rural South, like Wilcox County, Alabama. Tanya Ott reports on how some folks there are barely getting by.
An oil spill has brought commercial traffic in the Mississippi River to a halt. Host Kai Ryssdal talks with the Coast Guard's Brendan Brewer about the cleanup effort.
Want a high-speed DSL connection without the landline phone service? It's available, but don't expect the phone company to advertise it. Katie Macpherson reports.
China is continuing to prepare itself for the global spotlight. Host Kai Ryssdal asks Joshua Ramo, author of "Brand China," how the Olympics may change the way the world's impression of the country.
Southwest Airlines' secret to success has been hedging fuel when prices were lower. But how much longer can the airline keep up its winning streak? Dan Grech reports.
Food regulators from the European Union are raising concerns this morning about the safety of cloned animal products. Bob Moon talks to Stephen Beard in London about why European consumers are so fussy about cloned food.
Southwest may be the only big U.S. carrier to have made any money in the first half of the year. And Dan Grech reports in stark contrast to its rivals, fuel costs are actually a big reason for its success.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has seen demand for its services soar, but many veterans don't know what's available to them. So this week, the Department rolls out its first ad campaign in 30 years. Jessica Lussenhop reports.
Detroit has had a double whammy from home foreclosures and a faltering auto industry. So city leaders looking for investments from some unexpected places. Scott Tong reports.
Negotiators are trying to reach a global trade deal by the weekend. Observers say the three-way deal is probably not going to happen, and that could hurt the world economy, as Stephen Beard reports.
A Massachusetts lawmaker is pushing to make gas cheaper if you pay with cash, with a potential savings of seven cents per gallon. Jeff Tyler reports how the discount could help independent gas stations.
The Federal minimum wage has gone up 70 cents today to $6.55 an hour, which is still behind the wage level of two dozen states. Renita Jablonski explores what questions arise from the wage increase in a slow economy.
The Fed's latest report concludes we're facing increasing inflationary pressures amid slowing economic growth. Bob Moon talks to economics editor Chris Farrell, who still isn't convinced we have a lot to worry about.
The legal fight in Britain surrounding what seems to be the perfect tabloid story could mean the end of the gossip rags as we know them. Stephen Beard reports.
As the clock runs down on the Bush administration, political appointees at the Department of Labor are rushing to make it tougher to regulate on-the-job exposure to certain chemicals. Sam Eaton reports.
Biodiesel and ethanol were once touted as cheap, eco-friendly options, but between rising prices and their impact on the cost of food, these alternative fuels are losing their good reputation. Tom Banse reports.
Is it more important for a program to be market-oriented or just to appear that way? Commentator David Frum argues that recent proposals in Washington have been heavy on appearance and lacking on true market appeal.
The housing bill appears on its way to becoming law. Host Kai Ryssdal asks Nic Retsinas of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies what impact the bill will have on the housing market.
New York is reportedly considering securities fraud charges against UBS. The bank and other lenders have faced criticism and legal action over their sale of auction-rate securities. Amy Scott reports.
Banks eager to shore up cash are eyeing their money management units as assets that are easy to value and most likely to sell. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
As companies announced second-quarter earnings today, you had to listen close for much mention of the United States. The state of the dollar has many firms focused on success in foreign markets. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares are up on news the White House has agreed to a compromise with lawmakers on a housing market rescue bill. But Dan Grech reports there's no guarantee this action will help bring them back to Earth.
The U.S. Mint will be rolling out new $1 coins next month and will be launching a campaign to expand the coins' use. Jeremy Hobson reports the coins could save millions in production costs.
Vodafone suffered a 14 percent fall in its share price yesterday, swaying confidence in the cell phone market. Stephen Beard reports Vodafone hopes to boost faith in its stock by buying some of it back.
American cities will need to invest more than $250 billion to update their water systems in the next 20 years. Steve Henn reports private equity investors and major corporations have notice of the water business.
Oil prices have inspired a national increase in bus and subway commuters, and with that comes a rise in fares in several cities. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports that's putting a squeeze on transit systems' budgets.
The average U.S. worker gets 14 days of paid vacation, but anxieties about the economy are making fewer employees take off during the summer. Commentator Robert Reich says Americans still need a summer break.
Think all political contributions go toward campaigns? Maybe if those campaigns include golf trips and nights at the burlesque house. In the last installment of his PAC Men series, Steve Henn reports.
Private ownership can create wealth, but too much of it can bog down the economy. Host Kai Ryssdal asks Columbia law professor Michael Heller about the problems with the current property rights system.
A new report shows that a weak economy has women leaving the work force in droves, but not for the reasons many have long assumed. Renita Jablonski reports.
General Electric and an Abu Dhabi investment firm announced a deal for clean energy research and an expansion of GE's aircraft engine production in the Middle East. Sam Eaton reports.
General Motors is asking more than 30 utility firms to help deploy a network of recharging stations before the launch of its plug-in electric car in 2010. Janet Babin reports.
Wachovia is reporting quarterly losses of nearly $9 billion, and more than 6,000 workers will lose their jobs as a result. But Dan Grech tells us the news may not be as dire as it first appears.
Critics are pushing for a no-confidence vote against the Indian government sparked by a controversial nuclear deal with the Bush Administration. Bob Moon talks about the deal with reporter Mehul Srivastava from New Delhi.
It's no surprise lawmakers have campaign funds to help them get re-elected, but they also have a second pool of donations they can use however they want, even after they retire. Steve Henn continues our PAC Men series.
Today, the Department of Agriculture holds a meeting to discuss a new label for products made from soy or other alternatives to petrochemicals. Amy Scott has more on bio-based products and the expanding market for them.
Energy companies are pumping billions of dollars into Fort Worth's economy every year. Kate Archer Kent reports why nonprofits in the area aren't having the same problems raising money as charities elsewhere.
New research says women worry more about their retirement savings lasting than men. And with lower retirement income, longer lives and more older people being single, there's reason to worry. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Cash-strapped states are trimming back their health care benefits, which often hits the poor and poor children the hardest. So Congress is considering boosting federal funding for state Medicaid expenses. Steve Henn reports.
Outdoor clothes drying racks save energy and money, but try convincing homeowners' associations in the U.S. that they're not just an eyesore. One Australian company is accepting the challenge. Joel Rose reports.
