Although much attention has been given to the CEO of Bank of America having his salary and bonus revoked, the real news is the bank's billions of dollars in losses. Yet, while the situation looks bleak, it could be a lot worse. Alisa Roth reports.
There were some meaningful numbers in the news this week beyond the Dow's 10,000 mark. Kai Ryssdal looks into Wall Street profits and losses with Felix Salmon from Reuters and business writer Heidi Moore.
Obama administration officials are talking about the importance of a strong greenback. But people in the currency markets say it's pretty obvious the White House is saying one thing while doing another. Bob Moon reports.
When the Fed bought trillions of dollars worth of assets and debt from struggling banks, it never divulged where the money went. Next week, the House Financial Services Committee will vote on whether to change that. John Dimsdale reports.
At one point, those who worked at Wall Street weren't considered top-tier class. But according to author Calvin Trillin's latest column in the New York Times, the high cash lured in smarter people. Kai Ryssdal talks to Trillin about what that means.
Tension from the bad economy is taking a toll on many people's teeth. And dealing with stress-related dental problems can lead to big bites out of their pocketbooks. Curt Nickisch reports.
Before Donald Faison became a star on the hit TV series "Scrubs," he was a struggling actor clueless about money. Faison talks with Tess Vigeland about the money lessons he has learned over the years.
Tess Vigeland lets listeners do the talking by airing their opinions about a couple who worked off $100,000 in debt, the freelance life, and why credit cards cause us to spend more money.
Tess Vigeland talks to Stuart Ritter, a financial planner with T. Rowe Price, about what people in their 20s should be doing with their money after seeing the recent downturn in the markets.
Tess Vigeland and Kiplinger's Kim Lankford tackle listeners' questions about employers' 401(k) contributions, how to make the most out of selling a rental property, and more.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Forget the Nobel Prize for economics, Marketplace's Chris Farrell wants to hand out his own award: The Marketplace Money Prize in Personal Finance. And the winner is …
Elderly immigrants are being forced to postpone retirement because of the recession. But they're having trouble finding work, and get little in the way of government assistance. Jeff Tyler reports.
Tess Vigeland talks to banking analyst Karen Petrou about the continuing banking crisis and whether the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is healthy enough to cover failed banks.
When the economy tanked, government workers watched their pension funds dwindle. Now, in an effort to recover the cash, some funds are resorting to the kind of risky investments that led to the financial crisis in the first place.
The remaining teams battling to make it to Major League Baseball's World Series play in three of the four biggest TV markets. But that may not be enough to prop up baseball's declining ratings. Joel Rose reports.
General Electric is expected to make a profit from its third-quarter earnings. But earnings are likely to be down over the same time as last year. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Bank of America's earnings are expected to show a loss, but not all financial institutions are struggling. What's the difference? Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Robert Reich, professor of public policy, talks with Steve Chiotakis about what the U.S. will take to the climate-change conference in Copenhagen, and why we may have to cut a deal with China.
The Obama administration's pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, is forcing Bank of America's outgoing CEO Ken Lewis to forgo his salary and bonus for this year. Reporter Steve Henn discusses the details with Steve Chiotakis.
Kane Kramer, organizer of the ninth annual British Invention Show, talks with Bill Radke about some of the inventions on display in London, and where they will eventually show up.
Wal-Mart has slashed prices on 10 of the most popular hardcover book titles. The store is aiming at Amazon's core business before the holiday-shopping season. Steve Henn reports.
Washington Post writer David Hilzenrath talks with Bill Radke about a story he wrote that suggests health-care legislation now in the Senate would allow insurers and employers to make coverage less affordable for unhealthy people.
Credit default swaps? They're complicated — and scary! The receipt you get when you pre-order your Thanksgiving turkey? Not so much. But they have a lot in common: They're both derivatives. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains.
Americans are expected to spend 15% less on Halloween than last year. But retailers aren't running away from that spooky news. Cash Peters checked out their tricks and treats in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Tad Friend, who wrote a New Yorker column about how his WASP parents lived without the money and prestige they'd once known, has written a book on the history of his family. It's called "Cheerful Money." He discusses it with Kai Ryssdal.
We all know about the crisis in residential real estate. But what about the commercial real estate market? Is it going to collapse as some experts and pundits are predicting? Jeremy Hobson reports.
In the last three months banks have foreclosed on nearly a million homes — up almost 25% over last year. And such actions are spreading to more middle-class and upper-income neighborhoods. Curt Nickisch reports.
With unemployment still rising and consumers still wondering if it's safe to spend again, what keeps pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher — to over 10,000 points again today? Our Senior Business Correspondent Bob Moon reports.
The House Financial Services Committee has passed new regulations for derivatives, those complex insurance policies reponsible, in part, for the collapses at Lehman Brothers and AIG. John Dimsdale reports.
Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JPMorgan-Chase have gotten a lot of attention for their better-than-expected quarterly earnings. But what about the 8,000 other banks in the U.S. that have to be working right for the economy to get better? Jeff Tyler reports.
Karen Shaw Petrou, banking analyst with Federal Financial Analytics, talks with Bill Radke about whether we are coming to the end of the foreclosure problem.
Barclays Capital economist Michelle Meyer talks with Steve Chiotakis about whether we are turning a corner in the labor market, and whether inflation could be a concern down the road.
The Postal Service is disclosing its carbon footprint as part of a plan to make the agency more energy-efficient, and efficient with its cash. Jennifer Collins reports.
Analysts are expecting good news when Google announces its quarterly earnings. Advertising spending overall is in the dumps, but the market for online search ads is improving. Joel Rose reports.
The Social Security Administration will announce there's no cost-of-living increase next year, so President Obama is asking Congress to give the elderly a one-time, $250 payment. Steve Henn reports.
James Allen Smith, director of the documentary "Floored," talks with Steve Chiotakis about his film, which explores the intersection of technology and tradition.
Retail prices have fallen a bit since last year, and that's mostly good news. Unless you're a minimum-wage worker in Colorado. Mitchell Hartman explains.
Profits at Goldman Sachs topped $3 billion. But Citigroup has struggled to squeak out a $100 million profit before other accounting charges. Steve Henn reports.
For the first time since 1973, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have met or exceeded recruitment targets. It's not just the weak job market that's a factor. The military benefits package is a big draw. John Dimsdale reports.
Some New Zealand immigrants in Missouri are working to persuade American dairy farmers that changing the way they feed their cows could save money in the long run. Maureen McCollum reports.
The Bloomberg news service is buying BusinessWeek for an estimated — and paltry — $5 million. It hopes the magazine will help it reach an audience outside the world of hardcore financial news and data. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
JPMorgan-Chase may have posted its biggest profits in more than a year — $3.6 billion for the third quarter — but such stellar figures aren't being seen in most other parts of the economy. Alisa Roth reports.
Want to know what the odds are you'll survive two atomic bombs? How about more specific odds about yourself? The new Web site "Book of Odds" allows you to get up and personal about your own statistics. Bob Moon talks to founder Amram Shapiro.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Beijing, where the two sides tried to broker a deal for Russia to sell natural gas to China. Scott Tong explores the economic collaboration between the two countries.
Those who endured the Great Depression sought job security. How will a weak job market impact the current generation, which is struggling to find work? Commentator David Frum suggests a focus on the skill level of the population.
New York City's public health officials are going after high-calorie beverages with a graphic ad campaign that shows what happens to your body after too many sugary drinks. Sally Herships reports on what this shock value is worth.
Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at S&P Equity Research, talks with Steve Chiotakis about how to read the latest retail numbers, and whether we are finally turning a corner in this economy.
Pepsi's new iPhone application promotes its energy drink Amp. It's designed to "help" guys on the prowl, but it's not helping the company's reputation. Jennifer Collins reports.
Fast-food restaurant Wendy's is trying to regain its foothold in the hamburger department by introducing a new specialty burger. Joel Rose reports it's the latest salvo in the burger wars.
L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus talks with Bill Radke about legislation in Congress that would push out private lenders from the student-aid business and make the Education Department the dominant source of student loans.
Asia correspondent Scott Tong talks with Steve Chiotakis about why lead is in so much demand, and why China's government has trouble controlling its production.
A report from the Special Inspector General overseeing the bailout at AIG says execs at the troubled insurance giant are clashing with government officials over bonuses. Reporter Steve Henn discusses the details with Steve Chiotakis.
A grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will expand a model program in Washington State that promotes remedial education to help students get community college degrees. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Goldman Sachs' bonus pool is reportedly $23 billion — a figure Goldman disputes. Whatever the number turns out to be when Goldman reports profits on Thursday, it won't convince anybody that Wall Street has changed its ways. Jeremy Hobson reports.
A diary written during the Great Depression by a young lawyer named Benjamin Roth is now a book edited by his son, Daniel Roth, and James Ledbetter. The editors talk with Kai Ryssdal about what the diary means for today.
As jury selection continues in the trial of two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers, Kai Ryssdal talks with trial consultant Susan MacPherson about how lawyers pick jurors for such complex and high-profile cases.
The Veterans Administration plans to expand the list of illnesses it recognizes as caused by exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange, making Vietnam vets with those illnesses eligible for government-paid treatment. John Dimsdale reports.
Facebook is home to hundreds of pages dedicated to companies and products, and lots of them look official. But how do you separate real pages from pages established by fans? The social networking giant is going to find out. Alisa Roth reports.
A lawsuit against several multinational companies accused of working with South Africa's former apartheid government could set a new standard for corporate accountability overseas. Gretchen Wilson reports.
It's becoming more common for grocery store shoppers to be asked to contribute to charities while they're in the check-out line. Those small contributions can add up for worthy causes, but there are hidden costs involved. Michael May reports.
