Week of January 12th, 2009

The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 17 has a good article on target date funds. (You need a subscription to look at many WSJ articles. Here's the link….

Hospital cutbacks and slimmed-down insurance coverage have reduced the number of autopsies. For many families, finding out why a loved one died now comes at a price. Caitlan Carroll reports.

Listeners tell us what they think about our comments regarding Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, student loans, personal finance resolutions, and the sorry state of Chris Farrell's office.

Therapist Holly Miller explains how she uses music to help children and adults deal with psychological and developmental problems.

Economics Editor Chris Farrell answers listener questions about where to put emergency savings, how a person could best stimulate the economy, what that Turbo Tax term means, and more.

If you're having trouble repaying a loan and are looking to modify the terms, what should you do? Mary Ellen Nicol, a certified housing counselor in Atlanta, has some tips on dealing with your lender.

Nearly 10 million U.S. homeowners are having trouble making their mortgage payments. Tanya Ott profiles one Birmingham, Ala., family that has that problem, times three.

Troubled financial giant Citigroup is merging its Smith Barney brokerage arm with rival Morgan Stanley. It'll be the largest brokerage firm in the world. What should you do if one of those firms manages your funds? Dan Grech reports.

More evidence that deflation lies in our future….

Hedge funds will soon send out year-end letters, most of them detailing how much they lost in the last year. Even though investors might not be looking forward to the missives, some of them can be pretty entertaining. Amy Scott reports.

All the talk about restarting the economy has focused on President-elect Obama's stimulus plan. Commentator Clyde Prestowitz says we need to focus on international trade imbalances and production for the stimulus to work.

A lot of news came from banking institutions this week, and very little of it was good. Kai Ryssdal takes a look at reports from Citigroup and Bank of America with T. Rowe Price's Andy Brooks and Wall Street columnist Heidi Moore.

The office-products chain says women make most of the supply-purchasing decisions in the workplace, so it's going to focus its marketing on them. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Consumer prices have dropped and inflation has slowed, which could push consumers to start spending again. But there's a potential downside that has some economists concerned — deflation. John Dimsdale reports.

Many troubled banks are weighed down with mortgage and credit-card assets they can't sell or value. One solution that some are pushing for is creating "bad banks" to buy up toxic assets. Steve Henn reports.

The term "zombie bank" comes from the Japanese, who use it to describe banks kept on life support by the government. So when does a bank become a zombie — beyond help and unable to get off the operating table? Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Catching up on my reading. The Harvard University economist Richard Freeman calculates that CEOs are make in a couple months what an average worker…

It's easy to beat up on people for borrowing too much….

In trying to figure out what is going on as we stumble our way throught the worst financial crisis since the 1930s it's worth reading "The Cycles…

Question: I can tap my home equity line of credit at an interest rate of 4%. I'm thinking about using my HELOC to fund an investment in a no-load…

Restaurant week is an annual promotional event that lets New York City diners enjoy three-course meals at bargain prices. But will the spending continue once the week is done? Sally Herships reports consumers' appetites may not last.

Small business advocates have been lobbying to get a piece of Obama's stimulus plan. Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman explores where some of the bailout money could go specifically to directly benefit small businesses.

Some companies are responding to the cutbacks Americans are making in their daily lives by pulling back on Super Bowl ads. Scott Jagow talks to sports commentator Diana Nyad on who's saying no to the ads this year.

The average price of a gallon of gas has jumped about 17 cents in the past month. The main factor in the price hike is a cut in refiners' supply. But Dan Grech reports the gas price hike could just be temporary.

The government is giving Bank of America a $20 billion rescue package for losses incurred by the acquisition of Merrill Lynch, which the Feds encouraged the bank to buy. The bank reported its first quarterly loss in 17 years. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Marketplace for Friday, Jan. 16, 2009

Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, January 16, 2009

Among the lawmakers unhappy with how the TARP funds are being administered is Oregon Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio. He speaks with Kai Ryssdal about how the money's being spent and Obama's stimulus plan.

House Democrats unveiled their $825 billion stimulus plan today. The package devotes billions to new spending and tax cuts, and is likely to grow. Steve Henn reports on the details.

The Senate approved President-elect Obama's request to release the second half of the $700 billion bailout. Obama's team was scrambling to convince wary Senators that there would be more accountability for the rest of the bailout package. John Dimsdale reports.

Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker and a group of international financial titans are calling for a series of reforms to fix the broken financial system. Amy Scott reports.

With Bank of America seeking more TARP money to ease acquisitions of smaller competitors, can we expect banks such as J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo to request more bailout funds as well? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Bank of America, considered one of the "good" banks in the financial meltdown, is now looking for help. As it's been closing the buyout of Merrill Lynch, the bank has been seeking more bailout funds from the government. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Question: My husband is a huge conspiracy theory fanatic. He is certain that the new presidential administration will enact martial law and…

The bailout money might have allowed the banks to get their houses in order, but it didn't really do much for fourth-quarter earnings. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports it's too soon for that cash to have a positive effect.

The aerospace, retail and porn industries are among the many seeking help from the bailout. With so much money being doled out, one line of reasoning goes: If we don't ask for it, someone else will. John Dimsdale reports.

A coalition of corporate executives and environmentalists wants Congress to pass a bill that would cut CO2 emissions significantly. Sam Eaton reports why corporations want the carbon question answered soon.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates again today on troubling financial data, including Deutsche Bank's profit warning. But Stephen Beard reports the move is not offering the markets much reassurance.

Environmentalists worry about a potential waste problem when people throw away their old TVs once they switch to digital. Some feel the manufacturers should take the lead on the issue. Shia Levitt reports.

Shareholders worry whether Apple can thrive without CEO Steve Jobs at the helm. Scott Jagow talks to Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson about why Jobs leaving is such a big deal and how the company might be able to cope.

The Senate votes today on whether to release the second half of the $700 billion bailout, and Congress wants to ensure that the money has strong oversight. John Dimsdale explores a few bills on the table.

Marketplace Morning Report for Thursday, January 15, 2009

Marketplace for Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009

Question: So my wife just graduated with a masters and started working, and i just got a 25,000 promotion. Combined we are making about 3-4 times…

For people living in developing countries, it can be difficult learning how to use technology when the language can't be understood. But with new translation software becoming available, a whole new world of technology is opening up. Gretchen Wilson reports.

The transition from analog to digital television is becoming a little scrambled. Government coupons for the digital television converter program have run out, leading some to call for a delay in the transition. Jeff Tyler reports a delay could be costly for TV stations.

While we wait for President-elect Obama to hammer out details of another stimulus plan, help is needed to keep us staying afloat. Commentator Robert Reich says we need a safety net to protect us from falling further.

Once again the U.S. economy is recovering from the collapse of a financial bubble. Economist Dean Baker, author of "Plunder and Blunder," tells Kai Ryssdal that dramatic ups and downs need not be a part of our capitalist system.

The Commerce Department says business inventories were down for a third straight month in November. Businesses put orders on hold as sales continued a downward spiral. Mitchell Hartman reports.

London's Heathrow Airport is operating at nearly maximum capacity. The British government is deciding whether it should get a third runway, but protesters who own land near the airport are standing in its way. Stephen Beard reports.

Phone equipment maker Nortel has filed for bankruptcy protection after years of trying to fight back from the 2000 dot-com bust. Janet Babin reports.

Citigroup's deal to spin off brokerage firm Smith Barney seems to be the company's first step in selling off businesses and assets that are pulling down the financial services giant. And Citi's deconstruction could lead to more consolidation. Steven Henn reports.

We're in the midst of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Now, it does appear that the crisis is starting to recede somewhat,…

The House of Representatives will try to hand President-elect Obama a bill expanding the expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program. But John Dimsdale reports revenue sources may be a concern.

Peter Bernstein is the dean of finance economists. His newsletter is widely read–with good reason. We all learn something from it. In his latest…

Small businesses strapped for cash could use help from the Small Business Association more than ever. But recent changes to one of its popular loan programs has put a strain on women and minority owners. Ronni Radbill reports.

Chrysler is under pressure to sell off assets after its $4 billion bailout loan from the U.S. government. The automaker is said to be in talks with Renault-Nissan, which Renault-Nissan denies. Stephen Beard reports.

Former Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood's nomination as Transportation Secretary makes him one of few Republicans to join the Obama team. Sam Eaton reports how the Transportation Department could benefit from his oversight.

President-elect Barack Obama emphasized infrastructure when he spoke of his stimulus plan last week. But when it comes to such spending, Commentator Will Wilkinson worries about the risk of oversight failure.

On the heels of its brokerage merger announcement, Citigroup is also expected to sell off several financial services to counter a potential $10 billion loss. Jeremy Hobson reports what the bank might be shedding.

Marketplace for Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Here are excerpts from two investment giants. They differ, although both agree that Treasury Inflation Protected Securities or TIPS are attractive….

The Treasury Department has invested billions of dollars in bailout money to more than 250 banks. Today it opened up the bailout money to 3,000 small community banks. Now the Treasury plans to compare lending levels between banks that got government money and those that didn't. But will it work? Steve Henn reports.

President-elect Obama has taken a "team of rivals" approach in selecting people to serve in his cabinet. Can they work together in support of his goals? Commentator Dan Drezner says it depends on Obama's leadership style.

The tiny Chinese territory of Macau is home to the biggest casino in the world, which has thrived on high rollers. But as the markets have collapsed, Macau's growth has come to a standstill. Scott Tong reports.

Stanford University has received a gift of $100 million from alumni to create a new energy institute. As Janet Babin reports, in these tough times the only road to innovation may be through the private sector.

In a settlement with the state of New York, UnitedHealth Group has agreed to overhaul its database system to ensure that patients using out-of-network physicians are fully reimbursed. The settlement may have a major impact on other insurers as well. Sarah Gardner reports.

Lumber mills and timber companies are losing money as the recession hits the homebuilding business. Scott Jagow speaks with Andrew Miller, CEO of Stimson Lumber Company, about the decline of the timber industry and how it's affecting the Northwest, where lumber is big business.

Signs point to the credit markets finally loosening up. Scott Jagow speaks with financial analyst Peter Cohan about why the credit markets may be improving.

To further strengthen the financial system, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is proposing a plan to create "bad banks" to buy up bad assets in exchange for cash or equity. What's a "bad bank"? Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke at the London School of Economics on the roughly $800 billion recovery plan. He noted that further government action would be needed, and inflation is not a concern. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Question: Hi Chris – My husband was given a brochure regarding something called the Capital Protected Fixed Yield Enhancement. Apparently this type…

The World Economic Forum kicks off in a few weeks in Davos, Switzerland, and an advanced report signals the outlook there will be grim. Stephen Beard reports what some of the main concerns will be.

In a survey out by the National Small Business Association, many members expect deteriorating sales and job cuts. Still, there's an undercurrent of tenacious optimism. Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman explores why.

When Commentator Joe Bevilacqua lost his six-figure job, he left the city lifestyle and went to live with his wife in the Catskills. Since then, they have made due with what they've had, and have lived richly.

Aluminum maker Alcoa has announced a quarterly loss of more than $1 billion, and it plans to cut 13% of its workforce to balance it out. Jeremy Hobson reports why stronger demand could help the company.

President-elect Obama's team is doing what they can to monitor fundraising for next week's inauguration. But even though Obama is adamant against lobbyists, there are some big loopholes. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

Marketplace Morning Report for Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Marketplace for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009

Hundreds of thousands of people need help with food and rent and medical bills. Social workers often help provide resources. But a growing number want to tackle money issues as well. Reporter Cathy Duchamp looks into the idea of financial social work.

AOL is adapting to a changing Internet by consolidating all of its Web 'zines under a single unit. The new strategy could lead to more advertising dollars. Janet Babin reports.

Several British banks are under investigation for helping customers in countries like Iran, Libya and Sudan get around U.S. trade sanctions. Marketplace's Europe Bureau Chief Stephen Beard explains to Tess Vigeland.

Many small, healthy banks got some of the first half of the federal government's $700 billion bailout. Critics want to know why they got the cash and what they're doing with it. Tom Banse reports.

Citigroup is expected to announce a merger of its famous Smith Barney brokerage with Morgan Stanley. But what's Morgan Stanley getting out of the deal? And where's it getting the money to buy Smith Barney? From taxpayers? Sarah Gardner reports.

Two bills making their way through the House and Senate would empower federal bankruptcy court judges to rework the terms of mortgages headed into foreclosure. Lenders have opposed such bills. But these two are gaining momentum. Steve Henn reports.

President-elect Obama has asked President Bush to request that Congress release the second half of the federal bailout money — $350 billion. But to get some of it, banks will have to jump through a few more hoops. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

Mexico will be the first country to meet with incoming U.S. President Barack Obama. Top issues being brought to the table include NAFTA, immigration reform and battling Mexico's drug war. Dan Grech reports.

Question: Fortunately, our personal and self-employed business credit rating is very good, no late payments, etc. It would almost seem that with…

With most of the U.S. auto industry relying on a government bailout to survive, now's not the best time for the Detroit Auto Show to be glitzing up. Jeremy Hobson reports what the show will be focusing on instead.

A study finds producing corn, soy, cotton and wheat has become more efficient over the last 20 years. Ashley Milne-Tyte explores how a less detrimental environmental impact could help increase food production later.

India's electric car runs near-silent and has a blaring horn — and almost no buyers. Part of the problem is the way it's advertised, but Raymond Thibodeaux reports it may find a market within the country soon.