Tess Vigeland talks to author Said Sayrafiezadeh about his new memoir, "When Skateboards Will Be Free," about his experience growing up in a Socialist household in America.
Marketplace's Brendan Newnam and Rico Gagliano chat with fellow staffers Stacey Vanek-Smith, Jeremy Hobson and Phyllis Owens about their favorite under-the-radar business stories from this week.
Tax season is a headache for most people, but for gay couples, it can be even more complicated and expensive. Reporter Mina Kim visited a gay couple in San Francisco caught in tax season stress.
In a soft market, landlords are more open to adjusting rent prices for the right tenant. Attorney Janet Portman explains the best ways to negotiate rent with your landlord.
Tess Vigeland and Economics editor Chris Farrell answer pressing questions from listeners about borrowing from a 401K, how to buy life insurance, and how life insurance companies are regulated by the state.
Assets in 529 funds dropped 21% in the fourth quarter last year. Tess Vigeland talks with financial planner Bill Parish about what's happening to existing 529s and whether they are still a good way to save for college.
Scams offering to lower property taxes or save people from foreclosure are everywhere. But what about ads promising to get rid of bad credit? Sally Herships finds out why people are believing the ads and what happens when they do.
Tess Vigeland and Economics editor Chris Farrell discuss how consumers can sort through conflicting financial advice about investing in the current market.
Sallie Mae announced that it's changing rules about when student loans need to start being paid back. Tess Vigeland talks to Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid.org about what it means for students entering and graduating from college.
Iceland is feeling the fallout from its economy's collapse. Unemployment is near record highs and the real estate market is frozen. But innovative Icelanders are still finding ways to make ends meet. Stephen Beard reports.
Thirty years ago the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station experienced the worst nuclear power accident in U.S. history. Tom Zoellner, author of "Uranium," talks with Kai Ryssdal about the issues surrounding that nuclear fuel.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced bank and regulatory plans this week. Kai Ryssdal reviews those plans with Portfolio.com's Felix Salmon and Fortune magazine's Leigh Gallagher.
The Detroit Free Press is cutting its delivery services to Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays — the most lucrative advertising days. Is this a good business model? Dan Grech reports.
The White House is forbidding registered lobbyists from talking to executive branch officials who decide how to spend stimulus funds. Lobbyists say this violates their rights and are planning a challenge. John Dimsdale reports.
Executives of some of the nation's biggest banks met with President Obama to find some common ground as he continued to push forward with his economic recovery plan. What was discussed? Jeremy Hobson reports.
U.S. consumer spending rose for a second straight month in February, though things don't seem as rosy when adjusted for inflation. Still, some analysts say consumers may be past the steepest declines. Tamara Keith reports.
There's been a huge shift in how nuclear power is perceived, which some experts attribute to a renewed focus on safety. Danielle Karson reports issues like disposal are currently among the nuclear industry's most pressing concerns.
Top Swiss banking executives are being banned from traveling outside of the country in an effort to avoid potential detainment by authorities. Christopher Werth reports how the precedent was started.
China, Russia and the U.N. are meeting on what to do about heroin production in Afghanistan, which is helping fund Taliban insurgents. The West is being criticized for its lack of handling of the drug trade. Dan Grech reports.
Few analysts will declare the latest market rally as the start of something bigger. Tamara Keith reports why several negative indicators make it more bear market rally than bull.
Hoping to heat up its economy again after the fall of its biggest banks, Iceland is embarking on a new innovation: data farming. Stephen Beard explores why this idea works and is actually kind of cool.
States are luring the movie and TV industry out of California with tax credits. The move has created thousands of jobs in New York, Connecticut and even Michigan. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The president meets with bank executives and trade groups today to talk regulation, commercial loans and financial bailouts. Amanda Aronczyk reports on mounting tensions between Wall Street culture and the worried masses.
Huge labor protests have swept France this week as a backlash to the Sarkozy government's treatment of the economic crisis. Bob Moon talks to Anita Elash in Paris about a string of worker demonstrations, including a recent French boss-napping.
After Sioux Falls got rid of its credit card interest rate limits, financial giants moved in and brought thousands of jobs to the city. But with defaults soaring, the job market has tanked. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Congress is seeking to create legislation to regulate the broken financial system. Commentator Susan Lee says one idea to make the Federal Reserve a super-regulator isn't very super at all.
The financial industry knows regulatory changes are coming soon, but that doesn't mean they have to like it. Jeremy Hobson reports on the industry's reaction.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says as financial instruments have gotten more complex, government regulators haven't kept up. That's why he's asking Congress for more authority to regulate the system. John Dimsdale reports.
The arts industry is appealing to Capitol Hill for more funding as thousands of arts groups face bankruptcy. Art professionals are hoping to get the government to understand the need for the arts, especially now. Danielle Karson reports.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been a cheerleader of stimulus spending for other European leaders. But Brown might be heeding warnings from Europe's central banks about rising government debt. Christopher Werth reports.
A new survey of American families finds fewer of today's parents are confined by traditional gender roles, roughly one-quarter of women make more than their spouses, and children aren't viewed as obstacles careers. Caitlan Carroll reports.
The Federal Housing Administration has captured a huge chunk of the mortgage market in the last two years. Today, FHA insurance guarantees 1 in every 3 U.S. mortgages. Steve Henn reports explores the risks involved with such rapid growth.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is talking to Congress about new regulations aimed at financial risk-takers. Tamara Keith has the latest from Geithner, who is putting emphasis on regulation adaptability.
Limited shelter is a severe problem for California's homeless, whose numbers have doubled since last year. But a new portable home is at least providing a decent roof. Rob Schmitz sees how the EDAR works.
President Obama will hold a virtual press conference on the economy later this morning, with the questions coming from the public. John Dimsdale explores how the online forum is giving the public new access to people in power.
South Dakota a financial powerhouse? It's not what immediately comes to mind. But you can thank this unlikely finance hub for your sky-high credit card interest rates. Stacey Vanek-Smith explains.
The government's stimulus funds will soon be trickling down to people on the street. Dustin Woodman, program manager of a conservation group, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the money will help his community.
With job losses piling up, some workers are taking preemptive measures to ensure they will be able to land on their feet should a pink slip come. Mitchell Hartman reports.
For years many people were in the dark about what was hiding behind the "wall" in Wall Street. Commentator Robert Reich says for Wall Street to earn the public's trust, it's got to become a lot more transparent.
Macy's says it will reward its executives based on how well the company's stock performs compared to other retailers over the next three years. Amanda Aronczyk reports.
Drug runners along the U.S.-Mexico border are using stored-value cards to smuggle billions of dollars of cash into the United States. A Senate committee is investigating what can be done to stop them. Dan Grech reports.
The UCLA Anderson Forecast is predicting a gloomy economic future. Edward Leamer, the forecast's director, talks with Kai Ryssdal about why it's hard to forecast the economy without historical data to compare.
Some on Wall Street are genuinely optimistic about the government's plan to buy toxic assets and get them off of bank balance sheets. Renita Jablonski talks to L.A. Times business columnist David Lazarus.
European leaders are responding to President Obama's budget by brushing off Washington's pleas to match the U.S.'s level of stimulus spending. Christopher Werth reports U.K. ties may not help the U.S. now either.
A House committee is looking at old electronics waste, which the EPA says is growing two to three times faster than any other kind. As Caitlan Carroll reports, this is largely because no one knows what to do with it.
Mortgage Bankers Association predicts refinancings will more than double this year to the tune of nearly $2 trillion, and that means plenty of processing fees. Amanda Aronczyk tells you how to tell you're getting a good deal.
Budget committees in the House and Senate are working through President Obama's proposed spending plan to make sure things balance out. The president may struggle to reign in some Democrats to his side. Tamara Keith reports.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting Mexico today on the heels of the country's decision to impose tariffs on 90 U.S. products. Dan Grech reports what prompted the move and why Secretary Clinton can't resolve the dispute.
Japanese exports are down about 49 percent year over year, leaving the country's economy worse off than the U.S. in many ways. Marketplace's Scott Tong tells Bob Moon what or who is at fault for the market's freefall.
Today is the 14th annual Kick Butts Day, and students across the country will highlight the health hazards of smoking. But they have a lot of work to do if they want to combat $13 billion in tobacco advertising. Danielle Karson reports.
As Congress susses out details of a new climate bill, Energy Secretary Steve Chu is threatening trade sanctions on countries that don't comply with carbon regulation. Commentator Will Wilkinson says we can't fight other countries to enforce our will.
In a prime-time press conference, President Obama defends the cost of his proposed budget, saying trillions of dollars in deficit spending will be required to grow the economy.
Millions of Americans are wondering why AIG has paid so much taxpayer money to other banks. One reason is because AIG has had to honor "collateral calls" — demands made by banks on the insurance contracts it's written. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains,
Financial types aren't the only ones taking a measure of the bad economy. Dry cleaners have predictive tools of their own. Beth Teitell reports on the Crumple Index.
Many baby boomers who were planning to retire soon will have to hold off, due to the plummeting values of their retirement funds. Commentator Dan Drezner says this may make things worse for Generation X in the office.
In a recession, it's hard for businesses to know how much stuff to keep on their shelves. So many big consumer electronics companies are turning to a global supply master to manage their inventory, in China. Scott Tong reports.
China's central bank wants to replace the dollar as the global reserve currency with a new currency controlled by the International Monetary Fund. Would this proposal work? Jeremy Hobson reports.
The Treasury Department's plan to rid banks of bad assets will shed light on the banks' balance sheets, but it could leave weak lenders in a precarious position. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Housing values are falling, again. But from December to January, the housing market rose by 1.7%. So is the housing market up or down? Mitchell Hartman reports.
At a House hearing, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called for sweeping authority and more regulations to keep financial institutions in check. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Washington Bureau Chief John Dimsdale about Geithner's plans.
At a House committee hearing, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called for expanded authority to take over financial institutions considered at risk of destabilizing the economy. Tamara Keith reports.
A bill before Congress called The Employee Free Choice Act would make it easier for workers to join unions. Most businesses oppose this bill, but three major retailers are working on a compromise. Janet Babin reports.
