Levels of consumer debt are out of control, but we just keep charging. Host Tess Vigeland asks Stuart Vyse why Americans are so comfortable putting almost any expense on plastic.
Reporter Daniel Estrin always knew his mother was on top of all the deals in town. What he didn't know was that she might be a full blown "market maven." He lays out the evidence.
The market slump has turned many solid stocks into incredible bargains. Host Tess Vigeland asks Knight Kiplinger how to take advantage of a bear market.
Marketplace presents "Here's What I'm Doing," a series asking people from all walks of life how they're coping with the financial crisis. In this edition, investor and real estate developer John Laine.
It's tough to be ahead in this market, but how can you tell when the problem is your particular fund? Host Tess Vigeland asks analyst Dan Culloton how to judge the quality of a fund during tough times.
Hard times are taking their toll on credit card terms, including lower limits and higher fees. Host Tess Vigeland asks columnist Liz Pulliam Weston how to avoid tougher terms.
Unemployment figures are in the news, but an even larger number of workers are underemployed — working too few hours or stuck in field unrelated to their skills. Marketplace's Rachel Dornhelm reports.
With layoffs and cutbacks, some workplaces have become downright bleak. Kai Ryssdal looks at how downsizing is impacting businesses and their employees.
Sen. Hillary Clinton still owes $7 million in campaign debts, and there are laws that won't allow her to raise the money if she's confirmed as Secretary of State. Jeanne Cummings of Politico discusses Clinton's options with Kai Ryssdal.
Hedge funds have been blamed for fueling the financial crisis. Amy Scott paid a visit to one fund that's hoping to take the lemons this economy's offering and make lemonade.
In our Weekly Wrap, Kai Ryssdal talks with Fortune's Leigh Gallagher Portfolio.com's Felix Salmon about this week's jobs numbers, the "official" recession, the whip-sawing markets, and the automakers' continued pleas to Congress.
For months, companies have been suffering from the high price of oil — airlines, carmakers, truckers, you name it. How are they doing now that crude is down 70%? Alisa Roth reports.
A year into a recession and job losses are getting steeper. That's not good. Recovery hinges on people working and starting to buy again. Senior Business Correspondent Bob Moon looks at where we can go from here.
Today's jobless report was worse than many analysts expected. The economy lost 533,000 jobs last month, the most since 1974. And the 6.7% unemployment rate was the highest since 1993. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Ever feel like there's not enough time in the day to read through all of your favorite periodicals? One net entrepreneur found a way to give us handy abridged versions. Sean Cole tells us why he had to close shop.
If you're thinking about donating to charity this season, why not consider a gift card? Many causes offer this as an option on their Web sites. Mitchell Hartman provides a few good resources.
President-elect Barack Obama will be meeting with the heads of infrastructure to look at those projects as a way to jumpstart the economy. But some say major funding overhaul is due. Sam Eaton reports.
Lower retail sales and a big jump in jobless claims all add up to a slackening demand for oil. Another factor for the near record-breaking drop: trouble within the ranks of OPEC. Stephen Beard reports.
Athletes in this economy will meet one of their greatest challenges off the field, where sponsors are dealing with tightening budgets. Scott Jagow assesses the situation with business of sports commentator Diana Nyad.
All of the Big Three CEOs will show up in the House of Representatives today to plead their case for a bailout. Analysts say they'll eventually get some money from the government, but will it help? Alisa Roth reports.
The economy lost a shocking 533,000 jobs in November. The number is almost twice what was originally projected. How long will this go on? Ashley Milne-Tyte tries to find a silver lining in the losses.
All the economic troubles might have started in the United States, but they haven't ended here. Kai Ryssdal talks with Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen about the global impacts.
Professional sports haven't been immune to problems from the recession. But business-of-sports commentator Diana Nyad tells Kai Ryssdal the sports having the most trouble are the ones with the biggest toys.
California hopes to generate about a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. But it's finding the hard part is tying all that new green power into the existing grid. Sam Eaton reports.
To find out how Treasury's mortgage rate-cut plan might come together — or whether it's even possible — Kai Ryssdal talks with Susan Wachter, professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania.
Treasury Secretary Paulson is said to be considering a plan to use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to push down mortgage rates for new home purchases to as low as 4.5%. Marketplace's Steve Henn reports.
A more humble collection of auto industry CEOs came calling on Congress today. But the jury's still out on whether their latest proposal will get them the money they need. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Congressman Barney Frank will give a speech today about re-regulating the financial system, which the House Financial Services Committee will take up next month. Frank is hoping for an overhaul by summer. Steve Henn reports.
The government is looking at persuading banks to lend at rates of 4.5 percent. That's about a percentage point lower than the current rate for a typical 30-year mortgage. Ashley Milne-Tyte explains how.
Finding a job in another city helps broaden horizons for many people looking for work. But people are more reluctant to relocate these days on fears that they won't be able to sell the house. Steve Henn reports.
The Bank of England cut its main interest rate today by a full percent. The interest rate in the U.K. is now down to its lowest level since the late 17th century — and it may drop lower down the road. Stephen Beard reports.
Incoming Health Secretary Tom Daschle is already talking health care reform. But can we afford something like universal health care right now? Scott Jagow talks to economics correspondent Chris Farrell.
If the Big Three's conversation with the government over a possible bailout sounds familiar, you were probably around in 1979, when the same thing was happening. So what was the result? Alisa Roth has the story.
The number of students applying to college continues to rise, but this year, about half of colleges said fewer students than usual accepted offers. Money is one major reason for the change. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Women probably aren't going to give up personal primping entirely. But they are taking a breather. And that has salons scrambling to adjust to beauty's new bottom line. Renita Jablonski reports.
There is big buzz about who's going to dress Michelle Obama for the inauguration. To help figure out what that might mean for clothing retailers, Kai Ryssdal talked with Kate Betts, editor-in-chief of Time's Style & Design.
Bailouts continue as money pours in to fix our troubled financial markets. Commentator Robert Reich says that's great for now, but we need to keep our eye on the long-term ball.
Last month England's central bank dropped its interest rate to 3%, a 50-year low. Another half-point cut is expected Thursday to help hard-pressed borrowers. But that has hard-pressed savers upset. Stephen Beard reports.
A couple of months ago the Wall Street powerhouse decided the investment banking wasn't such a good idea anymore. So it turned itself into a full-service operation. Now it reportedly is considering becoming an Internet banking start-up. Bob Moon reports.
As Ford, General Motors and Chrysler go hat in hand to Congress asking for help, their CEOs now say they'll take just a dollar a year in salary if that'll make things better. But the bucks don't really stop there. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The United Auto Workers union has decided to make concessions to the Big Three carmaker in an effort to help them make their case to Congress for about $34 billion in loan guarantees and lines of credit. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
French power company EDF said today it's bidding on a stake in Constellation Energy. The $4 billion offer for the U.S. nuclear business is designed to thwart a rival bid from Warren Buffett. Stephen Beard reports.
Hedge funds seem to make headlines when things go bad on a trading day. But what are these funds and how do they really affect the stock market? Mitchell Hartman explains the term in our latest Marketplace Decoder.
Cruise lines have been offering big discounts to vacationers to try to keep their industry from drowning. Some companies have even suspended dividend payments to conserve cash. Dan Grech reports.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson may soon ask for the next big chunk of the $700 billion bailout. But where was the first $250 billion spent? Ashley Milne-Tyte breaks down the fund allocation with Steve Chiotakis.
The United Auto Workers is meeting to go over what they might promise in exchange for bailout cash. They may consider temporarily waiving health care and cutting benefits for laid-off workers. John Dimsdale reports.
Philanthropic companies might seem a little needier this year as investments fall with the economy. But when times are bad, people who can will sometimes dig a little bit deeper. Joel Rose reports.
The recession seems overwhelming when watching Wall Street players react to dropping stocks around the world. But commentator Will Wilkinson says the real engine of the American economy is chugging along elsewhere.
Edina, Minn., a wealthy, mostly white-collar suburb of Minneapolis, has not seen the upheavals of the economic crisis that have hit other cities — yet. Annie Baxter reports.
What's it like for consumers who are trying to get out from under mortgages they can't afford? Kai Ryssdal finds out from Fred Glick of U.S. Loans Mortgage in Philadelphia.
Niall Ferguson, author of "Ascent of Money," talks with Kai Ryssdal about how competition between banks and their drive to boost share prices has led to today's financial mess.
The Big Three automakers return to Congress this week to present improvements they'll make if they get bailouts. Kai Ryssdal asks industry analyst Eric Noble if smaller business models, green technology and executive pay cuts are enough.
If the Federal Reserve lowers its interest rate to zero — and there have been indications that might happen — it can't go any lower. So, what's left? Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Goldman Sachs seems to have avoided the financial crises of its Wall Street rivals so far, but it's expected to post its first quarterly loss in almost a decade. Alisa Roth reports.
A new forecast sees delinquent mortgages nearly doubling by the end of next year. Homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages, in particular, are in danger of getting squeezed. Jeff Tyler reports.
Local leaders are hoping President-elect Obama's financial plans include money for new construction projects. But many local governments are being forced to trim spending. Steve Henn reports.
Homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages are reaping the benefits of increased demand of Treasury bills. With investors seeking refuge in T-bills, yields have come down. Jeff Tyler explains.
While some see New York University's plan to build a campus in Abu Dhabi as a groundbreaking move, some academics are strongly opposed to the idea. The new campus will run about $100 million a year. Sally Herships reports.
