A month ago, Gail George signed up to have us track her finances for 30 days. In her final week of tracking, we welcome credit counseler Gail Cunningham to analyze George's spending and advise on her next steps in starting a savings fund.
The cost of hurricane insurance has been sky high since Katrina ravaged the South in 2005. Some homeowners even have to forego insurance because it is unaffordable. Dan Grech reports from Miami about how people are coping.
Tess Vigeland and economics editor Chris Farrell answer listeners' pressing questions about starting a new business, social security stimulus checks and buying a home right before it goes into foreclosure.
Paying off debt can be very difficult, but it's not impossible. Tess Vigeland talks to Dave Ramsey, author of "Total Money Makeover," about how to get rid of debt forever.
Banks continue to cut credit lines, even for people with almost perfect credit histories. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to one couple caught in their bank's blanket credit policy.
Web sites that estimate housing value are all over the Internet, but what good do they do? Tess Vigeland talks to Nic Retsinas, director of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, about what role these sites play in the housing market.
In many workplaces, watching YouTube or browsing Facebook is a no-no. But some companies like IBM are starting to encourage employees to use social media while on the job. Devin Dwyer reports.
Reuters blogger Felix Salmon and freelance finance writer Heidi Moore talk with Kai Ryssdal about GM's bondholder offer and the interesting action in the bond market this week.
Sen. Edward Kennedy is circulating a draft of his health care reform plan. Reporter Steve Henn talks with Kai Ryssdal about how much it will cost, what people are saying about it, and what comes next for the measure.
Africa's reputation may bring to mind starving children or civil wars. Not political stability or economic growth. But one country is shaking off its old reputation. Gretchen Wilson reports.
The FDIC says it will stop weak banks from luring customers with interest rates that exceed the going market rate. As Janet Babin reports, it could save a lot of money in the long run.
Trying to figure out if we've reached the bottom seems to be every pundit's new favorite game. Kai Ryssdal reviews where we stand in the housing, manufacturing, and banking industries.
How anticlimactic is the revised GDP number? Not that much, says Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist at S&P Equity Research in New York. He talks to Steve Chiotakis.
A meeting in Berlin today will determine which company Germany prefers for GM Europe. But Fiat says it's getting fed up with Gemrany's unreasonable financial demands. Stephen Beard reports that may help the other guy may win.
A new multibillion-dollar nuclear facility fusion could bring us closer to the reality of carbon-free energy. But some say even if we bring the technology closer, it may already be too late. Sam Eaton reports.
Ugly Wudi premiered in China last fall to huge ratings — and even bigger product placement. But experts say Western marketers aren't committing a faux pas as far as Chinese viewers are concerned. Scott Tong reports.
Last year, Germany shipped out $1.3 trillion worth of goods, which is more than China. So the collapse in international demand has hit its export industry hard. Brett Neely explores how poor sales have affected the country.
Gold prospecting has become a popular thing to do in Southern California, even if just for fun. But even though the yields are meager, the process of mining for them is illegal in some areas. Rico Gagliano reports.
President Obama announces a new government plan today to identify cyber threats and protect vital information from hackers, like military secrets and operating the U.S. electricity grid. John Dimsdale reports explores why we're particularly vulnerable.
Chrysler is back in court after a marathon session last night. But some creditors and dealers are objecting strongly to the reorganization plan, and appeals look evident. Tamara Keith reports.
The CIA is recruiting investment bankers and other Wall Street types. If they can pass a few hurdles, the financial whizzes will work on tracking economic threats to national security. Steve Henn reports.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers are bounced out of the NBA playoffs, Nike and Glaceau VitaminWater are out of luck. The brands have been hyping a Kobe Bryant-LeBron James match-up. Joel Rose reports on why advertisers love a good rivalry.
Claude Brodesser Akner, L.A. bureau chief for Advertising Age, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how heavy metal band Anvil managed to rock its way to the top through a documentary and support from a cable channel, celebrities and Twitter.
Since Massachusetts reformed its health care system in 2006, it's achieved almost universal insurance coverage. But a new study says the overhaul is being undermined by rising costs and other issues. Janet Babin reports.
Just a month after it filed for bankruptcy, Chrysler is wrapping up the proceedings — much sooner than most observers anticipated. But now comes the hard part. Amy Scott reports.
Analyst and management professor Peter Cohan talks with Bill Radke about why GM offered its bondholders a new deal and if a quick bankruptcy will help more people keep their jobs.
Doug Foreman, director of equities at Highmark Capital, talks with Steve Chiotakis about how GM's new bondholder offer might change the game and why bondholders took the automaker's offer.
There are fears the state of California could default on its debts. But would investors from other places be interested in the debt, given all the risk? Sarah Gardner says yes, and explains why.
Before the talks began, GM revealed it needed an extra $400 million in cash to keep Opel going, which outraged German officials. Bill Radke asks European correspondent Stephen Beard why and what this boils down to for the companies involved.
In the push for health care reform, the details for how a public plan would work are still a bit hazy. But one line of reasoning says the government could save billions by undercutting prices. Steve Henn reports.
Global electricity use is expected to fall this year for the first time since World War II. The plus side: less energy means less CO2 in the atmosphere. But Sam Eaton reports why the recession may pave the way for a dirtier future.
We have many economic barometers to help us figure out what's going on with the economy, but data points in different directions. Steve Chiotakis puts it all into perspective with economics correspondent Chris Farrell.
The Treasury Department is looking to sell $26 billion in government bonds today. It's the third Treasury auction this week. Jeremy Hobson reports inflation and the federal deficit are big concerns amidst investors.
Auto parts maker Visteon has $4.5 billion assets, but is $5.3 billion in debt. Ford will back Visteon through its bankruptcy filing. Tamara Keith talks to Steve Chiotakis about what the company will see in the coming months.
Author Barry Ritholtz talks with Kai Ryssdal about his new book "Bailout Nation" and why he believes the U.S. is giving out too much money to support failing businesses.
The road for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to become a justice is just beginning. Commentator David Frum says she's not a justice for these times. And she's not the only one.
Supreme Court nomination battles often give rise to big advertising and lots of cable chatter. As Steve Henn reports, that may be because some institutions have a big interest in egging on the fight.
Pop-up stores open up quickly and only for a few months. Target uses them regularly, and now high-end retailers like Hermes are getting in on the game. Sally Herships reports on this new trend.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is promising to punish lawmakers in his party for questionable parliamentary expenses. The controversy has erupted into a major political crisis, and may bring big reforms. Stephen Beard reports.
Bank of America and Citigroup are mulling raising the base pay for investment bankers in response to lost income over bonus limitations. Bob Moon reports.
Micki Maynard from the New York Times speaks with Kai Ryssdal about the latest potential plan for troubled automaker GM, which has the Treasury Department owning 70% of the company if it declares bankruptcy.
First it was Chrysler, and now it looks like GM is headed to bankruptcy. In both situations bondholders have had significant power deciding the fate of the company. Why? Amy Scott reports.
Bill Radke talks to Doug Bernstein, bankruptcy attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., about GM bondholders rejecting the offer to exchange debt for GM stock.
Steve Chiotakis talks to Bill Stone, Chief Investment Strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia, about the market's reaction to GM's news this morning.
The management at the Four Seasons Aviara in San Diego is in a dispute with the resort's owners over improving business. Owners don't want to lower prices at the risk of diluting the brand. Joel Rose reports.
Steve Chiotakis talks to Dan Grech about what happened — or what didn't happen — with the deal between GM and bondholders, and what the government will do as a major hands-off stakeholder in the company.
Activists are egging on McDonald's to buy its eggs from cage-free suppliers. As the largest egg-buyer in the country, the company is lagging behind other fast food chains that have begun purchasing cage-free eggs. Sarah Gardner reports.
Oil minister Ali Naimi says that global demand for crude is picking up, but analysts say we're not seeing much higher consumption, just higher storage. Stephen Beard reports prices could drop if world oil storage runs out.
Luxury brands are finding it profitable to think small for products ranging from cigars to perfume bottles. Jennifer Collins reviews some of last year's successful launches and why they sold so well.
If Chicago gets to host the 2016 summer games, President Obama would step in to help. Natalie Moore reports, and Steve Chiotakis talks to professor Stefan Szymanski from the Cass School of Business in London.
"Google" has evolved from a company name to a verb synonymous with search engine success. To enjoy a little of that success, Microsoft is spending $100 million ad dollars on "Bing," its new search name. Bob Moon reports.
General Motors formally ended its debt for equity swap plan that was supposed to clear a good chunk of $27 billion in debt, leaving it a step closer to bankruptcy. Steve Chiotakis talks to Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton.
Congress is debating a climate change bill to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But it would impose extra costs on U.S. companies foreign competitors may not have to bear. John Dimsdale reports on a potential green trade war.
Chinese companies have been taking advantage of low valuations by buying up natural resources. Now Chinese investors are buying a minority stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers, and commentator Shaun Rein says that's a good thing.
A public-private venture with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being used to test a potential malaria vaccine. The collaboration may provide a viable business model for developing drugs for poor countries. Megan Williams reports.
The German government will hold a meeting to decide which bidder will acquire Opel, the troubled German subsidiary of General Motors. Stephen Beard reports.
Home prices continue to drop. Analysts say without major economic recovery the market will continue plummeting. Tamara Keith reports on whether the bottom is even in sight.
Deciding how to regulate the financial system may be difficult thanks to complications like the purchase accounting rule, which makes bank earnings look sweeter than they otherwise would. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The Conference Board reports that last month consumer confidence hit its highest levels since September. New York bureau chief Amy Scott talks with Kai Ryssdal about why consumers are so optimistic.
The Obama administration has been looking to loan modifications to help some homeowners stay in their homes if they run into trouble. But a new report suggests they aren't stopping defaults. Dan Grech reports.
