A new year means it's time for New Year's resolutions. How have you resolved to keep your finances in order this year? We present the financial goals and plans of some of our listeners.
The road to the digital TV switchover has been long and not without a few potholes. As the February deadline approaches, host Tess Vigeland asks Popular Science's Sean Captain what you need to do to make sure you're ready.
The rules surrounding mandatory withdrawals from retirement accounts have eased in 2009, but the change isn't without its fair share of confusion. Host Tess Vigeland asks tax adviser John Battaglia to break it down.
This week, Tess Vigeland and economics editor Chris Farrell answer questions about retirement, investing in foreign currency, keeping economic fears in check, and the ethics of a windfall.
A student loan is one of the few sources of money that's still relatively easy to get. But that doesn't mean it'll be easy to pay it back. Susan Goodman reports.
Should you save to strengthen your reserves or spend to help unfreeze the economy? Economics editor Chris Farrell sets the story straight on how to handle your money during tough times.
When a landlord goes bust, the bank says bye-bye to their tenants. But a new Fannie Mae policy hopes to offer some relief to renters. Dan Grech reports.
The struggle of homeowners in this tough economy has been in the news, but for millions of renters, a housing payment is a housing payment whether it's a mortgage or a rent check. Sally Herships reports.
Every year young, ambitious business school graduates dreaming of wealth and power come to Wall Street. But with job losses mounting in the midst of the financial crisis, things have changed. Amy Scott reports on the world of Wall Street's upstarts.
The Consumer Electronics Show kicked off this week, promising the latest in gadgets and technology. But in this recession, how is the technology industry responding? Bob Moon speaks with tech expert Kevin Pereira about what's happening at the show.
With President-elect Obama set to take office shortly, it's no surprise that his stimulus proposals dominated the headlines this week. Bob Moon speaks with Fortune Magazine's Leigh Gallagher and Felix Salmon from Portfolio.com about the tough road ahead for Obama.
President-elect Obama's stimulus package calls for billions to be spent on infrastructure projects. But commentator Angela Glover Blackwell says to make the most out of the money — and build up overlooked communities — it needs to be invested in the right projects.
Fifty million barrels of oil are just sitting around on supertankers. They're not getting unloaded because investors are waiting for the price of oil to go up. Mitchell Hartman explains.
A Congressional oversight panel released a report today that criticizes the Treasury Department's handling of TARP money. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports that Congress now feels it has to clamp down on the department with more oversight.
The Treasury Department is seeking to dip into the second half of the $700 billion TARP money. But since the first half wasn't administered so well, Congress wants to implement new rules before dispersing the rest of the funds. John Dimsdale reports.
The Labor Department says businesses cut 524,000 jobs in December, making the month's unemployment rate the highest it's been in more than 15 years. But Janet Babin reports job figures may improve somewhat later this year.
The beginning of the year is a big time for Hollywood, as studios gear up for awards. How will the economic fallout affect the studios? Steve Chiotakis goes to the movies with Variety's Michael Speier.
A report out today on health care reviews which options may be economically viable. It found that several proposals could work, but the key is forcing people to get coverage. Alisa Roth reports.
The Obama transition team wants Congress to push back the February 17 date for broadcasters to switch from analog to digital TV because they need more time to help more consumers prepare. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
A new security procedure requires those coming to the U.S. to fill out an online form at least three days before departure in order to get clearance. One U.K. expert thinks this could hurt tourism. Stephen Beard reports.
A panel overseeing TARP will put out a report today on how well the Treasury Department is handling the economic crisis. The report notes the Treasury has given few details about where the money is going. Janet Babin reports.
The House is expected to pass a pair of civil rights bills today designed to give workers more power to sue over alleged pay discrimination. Mitchell Hartman explains why now is an important time for fairness law.
Many houses of worship have had more visitors since the financial crisis began. Some churches are even using the fallout to pitch their message. Ashley Milne-Tyte visited a couple of churches near the center of the turmoil.
Have you noticed there's less peanut butter in your jar? Some packaged goods companies have been reducing the weight of certain products and selling them for the same price. Sean Cole asks: Is it deceptive?
There are a lot of reasons why our economy is in a sorry state. Among them, the way we've done business and how banks have been structured. Kai Ryssdal speaks with management expert Charles Handy about how we got in this current economic mess.
The Oklahoma Sooners will face off against the Florida Gators in the final game of college football's Bowl Championship Series tonight. The BCS ranking system decides who makes the national championship, but has been controversial ever since its inception 10 years ago. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Diana Nyad about the business of the BCS.
Home Depot is ending its sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic team, bringing to close a 16-year program that allowed athletes to work part-time at the construction retailer while enjoying full-time benefits and pay. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Dell is planning to cut 1,900 manufacturing jobs in Ireland. That move could trigger even more job losses in the local supply chain. As Stephen Beard reports, Dell's move could be a big blow to Ireland's manufacturing industry.
The 2008 holiday shopping season was one of the worst ever. Retailers offered a lot of sales, but it didn't get people to hit up the stores. As Stacey Vanek-Smith reports, all those markdowns have created an expectation from consumers and put retailers in a bad spot.
President-elect Obama urged Congress to act swiftly to approve his massive stimulus package, warning of the consequences that could happen if nothing is done. Though the details of the plan are a little murky, John Dimsdale reports it sounds pretty familiar.
Today's interest rate cut from the Bank of England is the lowest the institution has seen since the bank was founded in 1694. Stephen Beard reports bailouts have had no effect on Britain's credit concerns.
The Senate Finance Committee is trying to gauge support for Barack Obama's stimulus package. Some experts are concerned over the prospect of a trillion-dollar deficit. Danielle Karson reports.
East coast chain supermarkets have started giving out free generic prescription drugs to help struggling customers. But health experts worry there should be a warning accompanying the drugs. Sarah Gardner reports.
The best way to avoid getting scammed is to learn from history. Dr. Chris McKenna, who's writing a book on schemers, tells Steve Chiotakis about one particularly bad scammer who affected the world economy in the 1920's.
For the fourth consecutive day, President-elect Barack Obama is speaking publicly about the economy. He's trying to gain support for a two-year stimulus package which he wants to implement by February. Janet Babin reports.
Some Washington, D.C. residents are trying to leave town before millions flood the city for the Obama inauguration. For the tourist-weary, vacation resorts are running special getaways. John Dimsdale reports.
The recession is changing the way people think about their retirement. Economics correspondent Chris Farrell tells Scott Jagow why working in your golden years will be the norm — and why that's not a bad thing.
Bad news about the stock markets, jobs, real estate. It can stress anybody out. But a new study from the American Psychological Association says women are more anxious about the economic downturn than men. Sally Herships reports.
A new survey says vacancies at shopping centers are approaching a ten-year high. Landlords fearful of losing more foot traffic are keen on keeping their tenants, which puts retailers in a good position to negotiate. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Not too long ago the recording industry was riding high with massive CD sales. But it faces an uncertain future in the digital age. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Rolling Stone writer Steve Knopper about the state of the music industry.
Congressman Barney Frank chairs the House Financial Services Committee and has been leading bailout negotiations with the White House. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Frank about what happens with the rest of the bailout money, regulating Wall Street and Obama's stimulus plan.
President-elect Obama is faced with making a difficult decision about where to cap his stimulus so that our deficit doesn't get out of control. But based on what he's heard so far, commentator David Frum thinks he's already gone too far.
President-elect Barack Obama named a former Treasury official as chief performance officer, a newly created position aimed at reducing government waste. But as Nancy Marshall Genzer reports, the new position sounds awfully familiar.
A labor report released today shows that job losses continued to mount in December. That's when the private sector lost 693,000 jobs, a higher amount than expected. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The federal budget deficit for 2009 is projected to be three times the size it was in 2008. But one thing that amount doesn't account for is President-elect Barack Obama's stimulus plan. As Bob Moon reports, the deficit may limit what Obama can do to help the ailing economy.
Continental Airlines today becomes the first U.S. carrier to conduct test flight powered by biofuel. Can the greasy alternative become a rival to jet fuel? Sam Eaton reports.
The European Commission says the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine is unacceptable. Officials from the two countries and the E.U. will meet to work through the issue. Steve Chiotakis talks to Stephen Beard in London.
Investors have been trying to re-inflate the commodities boom of last year. Some experts believe food and energy prices could get a lift from the new administration's stimulus plan. Bob Moon reports.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issues a report today on the state of American business. The Chamber has its own changes that it wants to see in the economic stimulus plan. John Dimsdale explores a few of them.
Transportation officials are ready to get started working with funding from President-elect Obama's infrastructure plan, and environmental advocates want to find a way to steer them towards the green projects. Sarah Gardner reports.
President-elect Barack Obama has named former Treasury official Nancy Killefer to the new position of "chief performance officer" to oversee budget and spending reform. Steve Chiotakis has more.
General Motors is auctioning at least 200 of its vintage vehicles to shave off extra costs. Jeremy Hobson reports some classic cars will likely be hits, but others might not fly off the auction block so easily.
With a new president comes a flurry of new proposals for everything from economic revival to climate change. But commentator Robert Reich warns that the core problems must be addressed if we want any other change to be effective.
A growing body of research shows the most effective way to get people to go green is not through do-good appeals, but rather peer pressure. Sarah Gardner reports on the latest research findings.
Listeners had strong reactions to stories about astrology and retirement in the Marketplace mailbox this week. Also, Kai Ryssdal tells us that FDIC isn't really an acronym at all.
President-elect Obama wants to spend nearly $300 billion on infrastructure projects to create jobs and boost the ailing economy. But road and bridge repairs will require a lot of asphalt, and as Joel Rose reports, a shortage of it could spell trouble.
Countrywide Financial is arguably the company at the heart of the mortgage financial crisis. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Countrywide's former Senior Vice President of Marketing Adam Michaelson about his experiences at the company.
High oil prices have kept Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez popular over the years. But with oil prices falling and a stack of bills piling up, the Venezuelan economy is at risk of collapsing. Dan Grech reports.
The dispute between Russia and Ukraine is heating up. While the two countries fight over the price of natural gas and an unpaid bill, several European nations are caught in the middle. Stephen Beard reports that many nations are warning of fuel shortages.
Numbers released today show that November wasn't a good month for factory orders or home sales. Both fell. But there is a little bit of good news in the services sector. Bob Moon reports on the latest numbers.
With Japanese car companies cutting back on production it seems the auto industry is struggling across the board. Scott Jagow talks with automotive expert Ashvin Chotai about who might survive post-crisis.
If you have the money to go on vacation right now, the hotel industry will have a great deal for you. Jill Barshay reports hotels in Midtown New York are going at almost a fraction of what they were last year.
A new study says we're paying 40 percent more for out-of-pocket medical costs than a decade ago. A rise in chronic diseases earlier in life are partially to blame. Dan Grech reports.
As lawmakers work on Capitol Hill to resolve the economic crisis, working-class people wonder if their interests are being protected. Commentator Kathleen Denny thinks profits are the main attraction.
Americans throw away an estimated 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, so you'd think we'd have enough raw materials for recyclable products. Sam Eaton explores the issue behind the waste and how Obama's stimulus plan may help.
Europe is caught on the losing end of the gas dispute between Russia and the Ukraine. But while politics play a role in the squabble, money may be the main concern. Scott Jagow talks to Stephen Beard in London.
Toyota is shutting down production significantly in the next two months due to poor sales. The company experienced a bigger percentage decline in the U.S. than GM and Ford. Janet Babin reports 2009 could be a tough year.
As Congressional leaders meet to discuss Obama's new stimulus package, many people are questioning what should be included. But commentator Tyler Cowen questions whether a fiscal stimulus is the best way out of a bad economy.
Having a salad instead of a cheeseburger for lunch is a choice some companies want their employees to make. To promote healthy living and save money, companies are subsidizing the costs of more nutritious meals. Shia Levitt reports.
Does endlessly hearing about the likes of Bernie Madoff affect everyone else's sense of right and wrong? Kai Ryssdal speaks with behavioral economist Dan Ariely, who's been doing some research into that topic.
The Securities and Exchange Commission came under scrutiny today at a hearing of a House committee exploring how Bernard Madoff got away with his Ponzi scheme, even after the SEC had been warned about him. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Of all the slaves in the world, about 4% are sex slaves. Yet, they account for an estimated 40% of all slave-trade profits. Kai Ryssdal takes a look at the problem with Siddarth Kara, who has written a book about the business of sex trafficking.
Automakers facing continued slow sales are expected to spend less on advertising in 2009. That's going to cause problems for the ad industry, which relies on car companies as its biggest customers. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
President-elect Barack Obama made the rounds on Capitol Hill today to drum up support for his $750 billion stimulus package. The plan contains a big change from earlier proposals — a call for $300 billion in tax cuts. John Dimsdale reports.
