Quite a few modifications to tax laws have resulted from President Obama's stimulus plan and housing credit. Tax analyst Mark Luscombe explains what the changes mean for those who have not yet filed returns.
On the brink of financial collapse last year, Iceland is now trying to recover and its citizens are embracing a culture of conservative spending. Stephen Beard reports.
Tess Vigeland and Chris Farrell answer listeners' questions about whether moving during the recession is a good idea, what to do when a company stops matching 401(k)s and how to handle unused pension or HSA funds.
Money market funds, CDs and other accounts that used to offer large returns are now only offering 1% interest. Laura Bruce of Bankrate.com discusses whether high interest online accounts come with a risky catch.
A congressional subcommittee recently approved a version of a credit-card "bill of rights" that could protect consumers from abusive billing practices. Nick Bourke of the Pew Charitable Trust talks about some companies' questionable methods.
Tess Vigeland and economics editor Chris Farrell discuss how to prepare for the potential loss of entire industries and how some people might have to start rethinking their plans for retirement.
The economy has not been kind to Scranton, Pa. — even during some of America's good times. Reporter Peter Crimmins attended a job fair to find out how residents of this hard-luck town are dealing with this recession.
When Yvonne and Ronnie Hart both lost their jobs in California, they headed for Houston, where family and friends are helping them make a new start. Rachel Dornhelm reports.
Many consumers hard up on cash turn to pawn shops for quick loans. But as fewer people come back to reclaim their items, shops are teeming with merchandise they can't sell fast enough. Zachary Barr reports.
Iraqi expat and hip-hop artist Yassin Alsalman used to be a big fan of Busta Rhymes. That was until the rap star released a controversial song called "Arab Money." Sean Cole reports.
The Oregon State basketball team had a dismal conference record last year, but is now playing in the College Basketball Invitational final. Ethan Lindsey reports on how the Beavers' turnaround could be a lesson for the nation's economy.
Unemployment continues to soar, but home sales are up and the stock market has had some good days. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Clusterstock.com's John Carney and The Atlantic's Megan McArdle about whether the bottom is near.
Bailed-out banks like Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are considering a controversial plan to buy toxic assets from rival financial institutions. Amy Scott reports.
A new government study reveals Americans are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments, and loan modification plans aimed at helping homeowners aren't working. Tamara Keith reports.
Five million Americans have lost their jobs since the recession began. A deeper look into the details reveals how the economy has gotten worse. Steve Henn reports.
Throughout ER's 15-season run, television has undergone a transformation in both its technology and viewership. Renita Jablonski talks to Variety's Stuart Levine about how the TV landscape has changed since the show's inception.
Some are looking at today's jobless numbers and saying maybe we've finally reached the bottom. Other experts say consumer confidence has been hit hard. Steve Chiotakis reviews this morning's indicator with Jeremy Hobson.
U.S. job losses came to 663,000 last month, hitting the highest unemployment rate since 1983. Standard & Poor's economist Beth Ann Bovino tells Renita Jablonski the numbers were stronger than expected, but better numbers are on the horizon.
Chicago is one of the finalists to host the Olympics in 2016, and some say the games would raise billions of dollars and create jobs for the city. Others think the city will merely break even. Jennifer Collins reports.
New data out today finds cash-strapped companies got rid of 25 million square feet of office space in the first quarter. The problem is likely to get worse due to the growing number of empty desks out there. Jeremy Hobson reports.
While job creation could help turn the economy back around, it may not take as many new jobs to egg on a recovery as in previous recessions. Marketplace's John Dimsdale reports that could be a good thing as job creation can be slow.
Auctioneer Kirk Williams had a hunch to try putting frozen foods on his auction block, and the move turned out to be tremendously lucrative. Steve Chiotakis asks Williams how people feel about the food.
The baseball player's union is trying a new approach to selling merchandise at Citi Field in New York. Items at The Players Clubhouse must include a star player's name or likeness. Dan Grech explores how this might work.
Leaders of the Group of 20 wrapped up this week's summit by expanding the role of the International Monetary Fund to help fix the world's economy. The measures are putting the spotlight on an obscure form of currency used by the IMF. Steve Chiotakis talks to Stephen Beard about the SDR.
Magazines that cover celebrities aren't selling as many copies these days, and that means less work for the photographers who snap the stars' every move. Jennifer Collins reports on how the people behind the flashbulbs are faring.
The Obama administration wants Americans to have electronic health records by 2014 as one way to cut costs. But commentator and physician Peter Bach says the next step after that is what will make the difference.
Chinese online game company Changyou has gone public, with a strong response from investors. The Asian gaming industry is thriving despite the global recession. It's a business model that has some Western rivals envious. Scott Tong reports.
State and local governments are gearing up to spend federal stimulus money on projects like repaving roads, widening interstates and retrofitting government buildings. And contractors are offering good deals. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Over the last two decades the Indian economy has become a force of its own. Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys and author of "Imagining India," talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the country is handling the global recession.
Leaders of the world's largest economies have agreed to provide the International Monetary Fund with $750 billion to assist countries hit hard by the global economic crisis. Stephen Beard reports.
Markets rallied today on news that U.S. accounting officials are expected to ease mark-to-market rules. That would give financial firms more flexibility in setting asset prices. Amy Scott reports.
The number of people filing new requests for unemployment insurance is at a new record high. It's now the highest as a proportion of the labor force since May of 1983. Jeremy Hobson reports what this means for states.
There's a bill in the House that would encourage more work in the public lands corps. The bill could help create up to 60,000 jobs over the next few years. Jennifer Collins puts on her work boots.
Democrats are saying the new bailout bonus bill passing through the House may be enough for some Republicans upset over the first that retroactively taxed AIG bonuses. Jeremy Hobson reports where other Republicans still disagree.
More companies are challenging benefits requests for laid-off workers using any grounds they can find, even if illegal. Jeff Tyler reports the tricks ex-employers are using to cut off former employee benefits requests.
The World Copper Conference wraps up today in Chile, and prices have seen their biggest quarterly gain since 2006. Analysts blame China's infrastructure projects for the rally. Dan Grech reports.
China is using its presence at the G-20 table to warn the U.S. it needs to take care of its economic woes at the risk of losing the country as an investor. Renita Jablonski talks to Scott Tong in Shanghai.
The big tax deadline is a few weeks away, and the calls for IRS forms and schedules have gotten louder. Steve Chiotakis talks to economics correspondent Chris Farrel about how tax code got so complicated in the first place.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, votes today on whether to relax the rules on so-called "mark to market" accounting. Amy Scott explores what that change could mean for banks and the economic downturn.
As the G-20 gets underway, regulation is the big theme, and countries are starting to pledge their support to do what's necessary to help their economies. Steve Chiotakis reviews other decisions being made with Stephen Beard in London.
As desperation sets in among home sellers, some are using actors to simulate lively neighborhoods in otherwise empty developments. Mitchell Hartman reports this April 1 exclusive.
The economic crisis is making some families rethink the costs of college. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Don Heller, director for the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State, about how the economy is affecting universities and students.
Many private colleges don't have big endowments, so they rely on student tuition to pay the bills. But in this bad economy, students and their families are struggling with tuition and financial aid. Emily Hanford reports.
The 85,000 H1-B visas available today to highly-skilled foreign workers are expected to be in high demand, especially in the tech sector. But critics say some employers are taking unfair advantage of the visa program. Steve Henn reports.
The Obama administration is optimistic General Motors can restructure without declaring bankruptcy. But in order to do so, its workers will have to make more concessions. John Dimsdale reports.
President Obama has called on European countries to borrow and spend more to stimulate the world economy. But commentator David Frum says Obama should listen to European leaders who say spending isn't the best way out of the crisis.
Regulations and stimulus are two of the major issues on the table at the G-20 summit. Marketplace's London Bureau Chief Stephen Beard discusses with Kai Ryssdal what the world's leaders want to work out at the conference.
Environmentalists in the U.K.'s Together campaign spend most of their time spreading the word about the dangers of climate change. But for April 1, they're reveling in the joys of energy wasting. Caitlan Carroll explains.
There's been severe political backlash this year against highly-skilled foreign workers due in part to legislation surrounding the financial crisis. Renita Jablonski talks to Professor Robert Kennedy, who covers globalization in his new book.
A report from ADP, normally seen as a predictor of the Labor Department's unemployment report, says the private sector shed 742,000 jobs in March. Global companies based in the U.S. are having a particularly hard time. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The cable and wireless industries are both putting on trade shows today, with wireless leading a more popular event with about 30,000 attendees. Jennifer Collins explores the differences between the two industries and where they take risks.
China's colleges have seen a glut of enrollment in the past decade, but graduates looking for white-collar work are finding it hard to find anything. Scott Tong finds out what the 12 percent of unemployed graduates are doing.
Manufacturing company 3M is facing more layoffs, a move Honda is trying to avoid by offering buyouts and sweetening retirement packages. But Jeremy Hobson reports why it may be hard for the automaker to avoid such a move.
Speaking at the start of the G-20 summit in London, President Obama called for nations to reject protectionism and work together. He also emphasized the need for aggressive financial regulations. Stephen Beard reports.
The administration is about to launch a new initiative to reward Wall Street executives who fess up to their role in the economic fallout. Commentator Robert Reich explains how it will work — just in time for April 1!
Two-thirds of the world's global activity will be represented at the G-20 summit in London, making cause for a protest for every occasion. Steve Chiotakis talks to Stephen Beard in London about what Londoners are expecting for protest day.
The U.S. Treasury Department plans to recruit private investors to take toxic assets off banks' balance sheets. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the plan is supposed to work.
A new federal tobacco tax will make it more expensive for smokers to buy their cigarettes. Money from the tax increase will be used to expand health insurance coverage to kids from low-income families. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Workers who are laid off not only lose their income, but also their health insurance. So one Seattle doctor is helping patients get the medical care they need — without the huge costs. Ruby de Luna reports.
Often, many students transfer from a community college to a four-year university. But in these tough times, some students are taking the opposite path. Emily Hanford reports from a college in Maryland.
The market has showed some modest gains recently. But to get the economy to really turnaround, commentator Tyler Cowen says investors need to know a lot more than we do right now.
Ahead of the G-20 summit, the British government is trumpeting a crackdown on tax evaders from certain countries. But some of the biggest tax havens may be found in the countries doing the whining. Stephen Beard reports.
In a sign that the Treasury Department's plan to clear banks of toxic assets may be working, two private equity firms have formed funds to invest in troubled mortgages and bad debt. John Dimsdale reports.
New General Motors CEO Frederick Henderson says more plant closures and layoffs can be expected, and bankruptcy is 'more probable.' Kai Ryssdal speaks to car dealer Cyndie Mynatt about how GM's woes are affecting her business.
Wall Street may have forgotten about Detroit, but there are plenty of other things going on. Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson talks to Steve Chiotakis about the big economic indicators coming out this week, including March unemployment numbers.
