The basic premise behind the TV show "Antiques Roadshow" is that there's no accounting for taste. Kai Ryssdal reports on how the collectibles market can say a lot about the economy.
Bike commuting is more popular than ever, and many cities are taking steps to accommodate two-wheelers. In New York City, a new law will allow people to bring bikes into office buildings. But some cyclists will be left out in the cold. Andrea Bernstein reports.
This time last year, companies laid off millions of people and a lot of workers saw their benefits dry up. Now some companies are resurrecting the benefits they scrapped a year ago. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The Commerce Department says that after more than a year of cutting back, business owners started restocking their shelves in October. Amy Scott reports that bodes well for the economy.
Most of the hard work building a low-carbon economy and lifestyle is going to be done in local communities. Commentator Alex Steffen says more than ever, acting globally means acting locally.
Reuters blogger Felix Salmon and Clusterstock.com's John Carney talk with Kai Ryssdal about the TARP extension and President Obama's plans to create jobs.
China's economy will probably grow more than 8% this year, and in the last quarter India's economy showed its fastest growth in 1.5 years. What's this mean for the U.S.? Alisa Roth reports.
President Obama will soon meet with top executives from the nation's largest banks. He's going to ask them why they aren't lending more, and he's going to sweeten the deal for banks that lend to small businesses. John Dimsdale reports.
When you're a New York cabaret singer who loses your life savings to Bernie Madoff, what do you do next? Why, put on a show, of course. Cynthia Crane offers a taste of her one-woman performance called "John Denver, Bernie Madoff and Me."
Whether you have millions or just a few dollars, how do you know which causes to support? Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon, co-authors of "The Art of Giving," talk with Tess Vigeland about how to make every charitable dollar count.
Listeners chime in on Marketplace Money coverage, including who should back student loans, who really needs financial education, and our series on kids and money.
Los Angeles Times consumer columnist David Lazarus and Tess Vigeland answer listener questions, from why Starbucks stores don't all carry the same items, to what to do if your company doesn't let you contribute to its retirement plan.
In Japan, solar energy is a green technology that even the middle class can afford. Rob Schmitz of KQED visits the country and reports on the lessons the Land of the Rising Sun has to teach us.
After David Reeves bought a foreclosed home, he found it took a surprising amount of work just to make it livable. He talks with reporter Julie Rose about his experience.
CIT Group emerged from bankruptcy this week, a move which took the lending giant less than two months to pull off. But this doesn't necessarily mean the financial firm has a clean bill of health. Amy Scott reports.
The latest House spending bill passed includes a measure to help the 2,000 or so dealerships being closed by GM and Chrysler. But the legislation only leaves room for a modest number of dealers to get help. Brett Neely reports.
The volume of promotions and discounts this season has overwhelmed the retail industry, but consumers have grown to expect robust sales. Jeff Tyler explains why this might be bad strategy for stores.
Chinese factories put out 19 percent more stuff like steel, coal and cars this November than they did last November. But Chinese consumer prices continued to decline. Scott Tong gauges the effects of Chinese production on its economy.
The White House is focused on getting Americans back to work, and Congress have its own plan. Steve Chiotakis gets a breakdown and some Capitol Hill perspective from former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Developing nations at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen have accused the U.S. of endangering the world by refusing to give them more cash to fight global warming. Stephen Beard reports.
Today Pay Czar Kenneth Feinberg will announce a new set of pay restrictions for top executives at six big financial firms. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte about who this will affect the most.
Each week on Marketplace Money, host Tess Vigeland looks at the week's major national and international stories that will impact the average listener's wallet.
There have been two industrial accidents in Texas recently, but the board in charge of looking at these incidents isn't investigating either one. Why? Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Fifteen months after Lehman Brothers collapsed there are still no new rules for the financial industry. But the bill for new regulations is finally on the House floor. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Many people who use iPhones in dense cities like New York or San Francisco have experienced dropped calls. So AT&T has a plan to tackle the problem. You could call it the pretty-please approach to customer service. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
There's more going on at the Copenhagen climate conference than delegates sitting around talking about climate policy. European correspondent Stephen Beard discusses the details with Kai Ryssdal.
The U.K. is implementing a one-time, 50% tax on parts of the bonuses banks pay to employees. Bankers are less than thrilled. Bill Radke talks to Andrew Hilton, director of the Center for the Study of Financial Innovation.
Citigroup is looking to pay back $20 billion of its TARP loan. The Wall Street bank wants to free itself from what it feels is excessive limits imposed by the pay czar. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte.
Wine is struggling with a retail trade-down as more people are purchasing the alcohol in stores than out somewhere on the town. But hard liquor still has loyal customers and drink specials keeps bar attendance flowing. Jeremy Hobson reports.
With unemployment high and budgets low, employers are grappling with the idea of ditching their annual holiday party. And some offices are using the time as an opportunity to let employees donate efforts to charity. Jeff Tyler reports.
Cash has become an issue as the U.S. and China debate how to control heat-trapping gases in Copenhagen. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard about what's heating up the discussion.
The foreclosure rate is falling, homes are holding their value and prices are edging up in some metropolitan cities. Alisa Roth looks into why the housing market might finally be settling down.
The days of farmland being bulldozed to make way for shopping malls or housing complexes are gone for now. And one Michigan county is in no mood to see those days come back. Dustin Dwyer reports.
There is a lot we know and don't know for sure about climate change. Commentator David Frum says those unknowns should influence the decisions being made in Copenhagen and Washington, D.C.
Nearly a decade after merging with Time Warner, AOL is spinning off and relaunching its stock and Web site. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on how the company plans to get back on the radar.
Al Gore talks with Kai Ryssdal about what it will take to get nations and businesses to change to a low-carbon economy, and what they stand to gain from it.
The island nation of Tuvalu wants any deal at the Copenhagen climate conference to be binding. But that's not a position more populous developing nations support. Stephen Beard reports.
Senate Democrats are tentatively agreeing to scrap the public option for health-care reform. Instead, the uninsured could get insurance under a federal employee health program and middle-aged people could buy into Medicare. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
The Obama administration will extend TARP until October 2010. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the money is needed in case financial conditions worsen. Does he know something we don't? Amy Scott reports.
With so many different carbon emissions figures floating around the Copenhagen climate change conference, it's easy to get thrown off. Stephen Beard tries to break it down.
The House is considering a bill that would overhaul the financial industry with the use of a special bailout fund and the creation of a new agency. But some business lobbyists are worried about the number of regulators involved. Brett Neely reports.
Though originally set to expire on December 31, the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program Obama will now extend to October 2010. What does the extension mean? Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
African environmentalists at the Copenhagen summit are protesting a draft plan from the Danish government for tackling climate change. They say the plan favors rich countries over developing nations. Stephen Beard reports.
Senate Democrats are hashing through a tentative health care deal, which appears to include a compromise on a national plan. What about the public option? Bill Radke gets more details from Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte.
Like the brand of shirt you wear, your preferred e-mail address can send a message about who you are. Stacey Vanek-Smith explores why many of her friends and colleagues recently started switching e-mail accounts.
Ford is getting numerous bids for Volvo, including a consortium of American investors and Chinese car maker Geely. Alisa Roth explains the Swedish brand's appeal to suitors — particularly Geely.
The recession's been tough on single and divorced moms and dads. Many jobless parents are falling behind on child-support payments. But are some using the bad economy as an excuse? Thomas H. Humphreys investigates.
China is launching an ad campaign to show that Chinese manufacturing benefits everyone. USC Professor Jay Wang talks with Kai Ryssdal about whether the effort will work.
Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn talks with Kai Ryssdal about the book she edited, "The Story of American Business: From the Pages of the New York Times," and what might be learned from our current economic climate.
The Obama administration says it will fast-track the review of patents for green technologies. Now green inventors will be able to jump ahead in line. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
President Obama is hoping to get small businesses hiring again through tax breaks and help with loans. But is this what small-business owners want or need? Mitchell Hartman reports.
Americans spend almost two and a half times more on their health care than citizens in other developed countries. But Marc Pearson of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development tells Bill Radke the quality of care doesn't show it.
The House Financial Services Committee will take a closer look at the Obama administration's Home Affordable Mortgage Program. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Ashley Milne-Tyte about why the program has proven trickier than expected.
The aviation industry is facing pressure in Copenhagen over its carbon emissions. Bill Radke talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard, who explains why it's a sensitive issue and what's concerning developing countries.
Bank of America has less than four weeks until CEO Ken Lewis steps down, and the bank has yet to name his successor. But the bank's TARP repayments should help bump the new CEO's salary. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Home fuel cells are becoming increasingly popular in Japan. The electricity generator cuts about a ton of carbon emissions from each household per year, but costs aren't reasonable for the average consumer — yet. Rob Schmitz reports.
The Supreme Court is mulling over whether to scale back or strike down an anti-corruption law. Supporters of the law say it's valuable against corruption cases, while critics say the law is too vague. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Jobs creation and infrastructure will be two pivotal topics of President Obama's speech later today, but the White House is trying to tamp down expectations for a silver-bullet solution. Ashley Milne-Tyte offers this preview.
