In author Alain De Botton's new book, "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work," the Briton muses on our modern relationship with work and how our occupations help shape our identities.
Tess Vigeland and economics editor Chris Farrell answer listeners' pressing questions about rent-to-own properties, the credit card reform bill, and saving for health care after retirement.
We last talked to personal finance bloggers Steve, Lynnae and Jim a year ago. We check back with them on the state of the financial climate and what commenters on their blogs are saying.
There are billions of government dollars available to help people with everything from assistance with groceries to home improvement. Reporter Jeff Tyler went to Ohio to check out a program that helps match people with benefits.
Economics editor Chris Farrell remembers lessons learned from late economic consultant and historian Peter Bernstein, who died June 5 at the age of 90.
Even stable money market mutual funds have been risky as of late. But companies like Vanguard are striving to make sure the buck never breaks again. USA Today columnist John Waggoner explains.
People on the ground floor of companies like Google, Microsoft and Nike surely don't regret their risky investments. Producer Stephen Hoffman finds out which companies people on the street wish they would have taken advantage of early on.
Initial public offerings, or IPOs, are risky investments that have all but dried up during the recession. But Fidelity Investments is opening up exclusive access to IPOs from a private equity firm to drum up new business.
Fortune's Leigh Gallagher and Clusterstock.com's John Carney talk with Kai Ryssdal about whether we should be concerned about inflation and how the government is missing a chance to regulate the banking industry.
Playboy Magazine editor and author A.J. Baime talks with Kai Ryssdal about the great racing rivalry between Ford and Ferrari in the 60s and lessons the U.S. auto industry can learn from racing's golden age.
The 'Made in China' label has taken a beating the past few years. But, as more Chinese export deals to the U.S. go sour, there may be a new bad guy on the block. Scott Tong reports.
Plans to create a super-regulator to spot systemic risk in the financial industry will soon be unveiled, and lots of people will be needed for the agency. Commentator Susan Lee sorts out the different candidates.
TV stations across the country will completely switch from analog to digital, and there are some surprising benefits to the conversion. Joel Rose reports.
The Obama administration is reviving plans to build the first commercial carbon capture plant in the U.S. Sam Eaton reports on the impact the move might have.
U.S. investment firm BlackRock will buy Barclays Global Investors, becoming the world's largest money manager. The combined company will control $2.7 trillion in assets. Amy Scott reports on why you may not have heard about the firm.
Mayors in several U.S. cities are turning to nonprofit group Acorn to help tenants in low-income communities stay in their homes. But congressional Republicans want to block the group from federal funding. Joel Rose explores the issue.
Officials from the Group of Eight are meeting to set the agenda for the big G-8 summit
this summer. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard about a major difference of opinion between Germany and the U.S.
What will the BlackRock deal mean for the smaller financial firms? Steve Chiotakis tracks the growth of BlackRock with Doug Foreman, Director of Equities at Highmark Capital in San Francisco.
General Motors is reportedly close to selling Swedish unit Saab. The likely buyer is a small Swedish sports car company called Koenigsegg. The company charges $1 million or more for its vehicles. Stephen Beard reports.
How can we determine the number of jobs indirectly created by the stimulus? Tamara Keith tries to get to the heart of that number by visiting the first road project driven by the stimulus in suburban Washington, D.C.
The U.S. House's latest financial disclosures will be released today, divulging how much elected reps lost. At least 18 members of the House Financial Services Committee held stock in bailed-out firms. Dan Grech reports.
Starting tonight, Facebook users can choose their own URL. This will make profiles easier to find in search engines and to remember. Mitchell Hartman reports why it won't be far-fetched to start seeing Facebook URLs on business cards.
Cities pay millions of dollars every year to deal with their trash. So some communities are finding artful ways to deal with the issue that both educate and illuminate sustainability. Caitlan Carroll reports.
U.S. money manager BlackRock is about to become the world's largest asset manager after agreeing to buy an investment arm of British bank Barclays. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte about why this deal is so interesting.
Kate Betts, editor of Time's Style & Design, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how designers are going back to the basics as fashionistas cut back on their shopping sprees.
Fallout from the Wall Street stock-research scandal resulted in firms having to pay more than $450 million to fund independent market research. But that money will soon dry up. Amy Scott reports.
Despite efforts from the government to limit executive compensation, many banks are still paying out huge sums to departing CEOs. Steve Henn reports in collaboration with the investigative newsroom ProPublica.
The government is trotting out new programs designed to stimulate car purchases, on top of the billions GM and Chrysler are already receiving. Bob Moon reports on the amount of subsidies the auto industry is getting.
Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis testified before Congress about his bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch. Jeremy Hobson reports on the other information Congress should be seeking.
President Obama was in Green Bay, Wis., to promote an overhaul to health care. John Dimsdale reports on why the system needs fixing and what may stand in the way.
What can the latest Treasury note auctions tell us about interest rates? Steve Chiotakis asks Bill Stone, Chief Investment Strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia.
The European Court of Justice delivered a verdict on a trademark case involving a rabbit-shaped chocolate. Bill Radke talks to European correspondent Stephen Beard, who explains why the court may have fudged the issue.
Many in Chicago criticize Mayor Richard Daley's deal to privatize the parking meters, a move that's made parking an expensive burden. Adriene Hill explores whether privatizing public services has any noticeable financial benefits.
Are you in the market for a nuclear reactor? If so, you'll need about $10 billion to get started. Besides the environmental concerns, the cost of nuclear energy is also a problem. Sam Eaton looks into why it's so expensive.
Foreclosure filings dropped from April to May, but rates are rising in states like Idaho, Oregon and Utah. Most of the new foreclosures seemed to be based around unemployment. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Danica Patrick is reportedly negotiating a switch of her driving allegiance to NASCAR. And with declining ratings and attendance, NASCAR could use a little of Patrick's star power. Joel Rose reports.
The Fed's Beige Book findings out yesterday suggested the recession was loosening. Are we closer to recovery now? Steve Chiotakis explores whether the job market is stabilizing with economics correspondent Chris Farrell.
B of A head Kenneth Lewis testified before a congressional panel today on the bank's deal with Merrill Lynch. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte about whether he insinuated that he was pressured by the government.
Success or failure in life can be attributed to different factors: drive, intelligence and . . . height? Author Arianne Cohen talks with Kai Ryssdal about why tall people are more likely to succeed professionally and financially than others of shorter stature.
A number of Web sites help Internet users fund entrepreneurs from developing countries. Now one of the biggest, Kiva.org, will allow users to make microloans to small business owners in the U.S. Rachel Dornhelm reports.
Three candidates are battling to unseat incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran's June 12 presidential election, and many Iranians are basing their votes on the country's economic problems. Reese Erlich reports.
General Motors and Chrysler are reducing dealerships to cut costs as they restructure their ailing businesses. Commentator David Frum says the cuts have been a long time coming.
The Senate is considering legislation that will give the FDA power to regulate the tobacco industry. But if it passes, will cigarettes really change? Sarah Gardner reports.
Russia's central bank plans to cut reserves it invests in U.S. Treasury bonds. That's bad news for the dollar at a time when the U.S. is seeking to sell record amounts of debt. Stephen Beard reports.
The Obama administration is proposing reforms to executive pay that would give shareholders and boards of directors a vote on pay packages for top CEOs. John Dimsdale reports on why some corporate managers say the plan is impractical.
Oil is the big thing that's pushing the markets this morning. Steve Chiotakis gets a deeper reading from Juli Niemann of investment firm Smith, Moore & Co. in St. Louis.
A new survey of 700 venture capitalist leaders found that more than half of them will invest in fewer start-ups this year. Janet Babin reports how more open trade and immigration policies could help the industry.
Pentagon employees have gotten millions in free travel and lodging from groups with interest in shaping military policy, a study by the Center for Public Integrity has found. Bill Radke talks with the watchdog group's Bill Buzenberg.
Exhibitors at a solar panel trade show in Philadelphia are hoping to get a share of the millions in federal incentives for solar energy. But until then, the industry is seeing a bit of a slowdown. Joel Rose reports.
Sales statistics in China and other factors are contributing to a rise in oil prices. Some analysts say that speculative momentum could drive the price of oil to $80 a barrel within a week. Stephen Beard reports.
Many of the youth in Indian tech hub Bangalore are resorting to violent, extremist measures to sway the population. Experts say much of their reasoning comes not from religious views, but economic hardship. Raymond Thibodeaux reports.
House Republicans plan to unveil a new energy plan they're calling the "all of the above" solution for energy independence. The proposal calls for domestic energy production, aka "Drill, baby, drill." Sam Eaton reports.
The Obama administration is focusing on executive compensation again this week, and it could appoint a "pay czar" to oversee top pay at bailout-supported firms. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Britain's Pinewood Studios has designs on doubling its size. But local residents say the expansion will spoil the countryside, and the plan isn't quite what it seems. Stephen Beard reports.
The National Institutes of Health scored $10.4 billion in stimulus funds that it's handing out in grants. Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Paul Basken talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the stimulus has affected grant applications and whether it's creating jobs.
TV stations across the country will finally make the complete switch from analog to digital TV. But not everybody is ready for digital prime time. Sarah Gardner reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court has shifted Chrysler's bankruptcy plan back into drive, opening the way for the automaker's sale to Fiat. So did Chrysler's creditors have any hope for a better deal? Caitlan Carroll reports.
The Treasury Department has given 10 banks the OK to pay back TARP funds. The banks did well on the stress tests, but there are questions about whether the TARP did the banks any good, and if the tests were stringent enough. John Dimsdale reports.
Televisa and Univision are battling over who gets to distribute Televisa's popular telenovelas online. Millions in digital ad revenue could be at stake in the dispute. Dan Grech reports what each company has to lose.
London was at one point the financial center of the world, but other cities are gearing up to steal the title. Stephen Beard explores why London is experiencing a loss in financial confidence.
