Back in January 2009, we aired some listeners' money resolutions for the year. We check back in with a few to see just how well they kept those promises.
Companies are often so focused on the present and future that they forget about their past. But now some companies are opening up showcases that highlight their products through history. Cash Peters takes us inside.
Economics editor Chris Farrell and Tess Vigeland revisit some of the most common questions that listeners asked in 2009, and check-in with a woman who has been putting her marriage on hold because of student loans.
Donors to charities get satisfaction from thinking their money is going to a particular person or project with which they then have a special relationship. But those relationships sometimes aren't so special. Ashley Milne-Tyte 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.
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.
The Fifty Percent League is made up of people who believe it's their moral obligation to give away as much of their money as they can. Lisa Napoli looks at what inspires these folks to engage in "extreme giving."
It's the season for giving. But given this economy, you might think that only those with big bucks can do philanthropy. Commentator Matthew Bishop urges us to think again.
Despite signs of an economic recovery, jobs are still scarce. Increasing unemployment means more people are having to start over, like commentator Peter Basch.
Most stories about the newly unemployed are all about doom and gloom. But some people are riding out unemployment on severance packages and savings. Reporter Julie Rose finds that this new-found freedom can't last forever.
Does money make people happy? Gretchen Rubin has been studying the subject and has written a book called "The Happiness Project." She talks with Bill Radke.
Arizona has been sending illegal immigrants it's detained to federal prisons to serve the final months of their sentences, thus sticking the federal taxpayer with the bill. Now Arizona's governor is stepping up the program. Jeff Tyler reports.
News Corp. and Time Warner Cable aren't the only ones battling over how much to charge for television subscription fees. Amy Scott reports the whole television business is changing, and everyone wants to set the rules.
Noah Glass was just about to start Harvard Business School when he threw that opportunity out the window to pursue his dream of starting a business that makes the buying of fast-food go faster. Jeremy Hobson reports.
With no national cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases, some states like Minnesota will start requiring utilities to weigh carbon costs from their energy sources. That could hurt out-of-state coal-fired power plants. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
2009 was a year of frayed economic nerves. Looking to soothe them, the Federal Reserve bought more than $1 trillion worth of mortgage bonds, which sent mortgage rates plunging. Well, don't expect the same this year. Brett Neely has more.
In 2009 state governments took on a lot of debt. More than $410 billion in new municipal bonds were issued last year, and the borrowing's likely to continue. Adriene Hill reports.
The average law student takes out $60,000 to $90,000 for school. And despite what you think, they're not all making big bucks right after graduation. Some can't even find a job. Sally Herships reports.
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.
College football's Bowl Championship Series kicks off New Year's Day. The week-long series of games brings in a lot of money for the invited schools and their conferences — and complaints from schools not included. Nancy Farghalli reports.
The push to overhaul regulations for America's financial system didn't get very far in 2009. Marketplace's Washington Bureau Chief John Dimsdale reviews the propects for change with host Kai Ryssdal.
2009 has been a heck of a year, and 2010 may turn out to be trickier than we think. Kay Ryssdal talks with Felix Salmon from Reuters and Clusterstock's John Carney to get their views.
At this time of year a lot of people end up with a balance in their flexible spending account — that company benefit that lets you sock away money tax-free for health care. Marketplace's Amy Scott is one. She reports on the business of the FSA rush.
The U.S. sold about $2 trillion worth of notes and bonds this year as the federal government sold more IOUs to pay for its ballooning deficit. Borrowing was cheap this year. But next year may be a different story. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Compared to 10 years ago the average American is earning about $5 an hour more, but unemployment has tripled, single-family home sales are 34% lower, and stocks are down 8%. Yet, some see signs we're doing better economically. Bob Moon reports.
The number of workers filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week to the lowest level in 17 months. Bill Radke explores whether or not this is significant with Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial.
If you're planning on drinking wine tonight to celebrate the New Year, you'll be helping what some view to still be a shaky U.S. wine industry. Kaomi Goetz gets input from wine producers in Napa County.
Mortgage lenders will have to provide clearer disclosure of all the costs of a loan in the new year. But the industry isn't sure it's equipped to handle the new rules. Alisa Roth reports.
British bankers usually receive honors around this time of year for their service to the country's economy. But this year, bankers are in disgrace, and won't be granted the titles of Lord, Lady, Dame or Sir. Stephen Beard reports.
Experts are looking to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 as they try to assess what went wrong with the financial system. Bill Radke explores just what that is with economics correspondent Chris Farrell.
With features like a touchscreen, wi-fi Web access and apps galore, Google's Nexus One smart phone is in line to be a hard rival to Apple's iPhone. Mitchell Hartman explores why certain features may offer up the tough competition.
Duties on some 7,000 products traded between China and Southeast Asia are going away on New Year's Day as the countries form a trade bloc rivaling NAFTA or the E.U. But some Indonesian vendors are worried. Scott Tong reports.
The New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square will have a reconfigured streetscape. Earlier this year a section of Broadway became a pedestrian mall. Reporter Andrea Bernstein looked into how the change affected local businesses.
Commentator Robert Reich says this past year will be remembered as a time when Wall Street fat cats who caused the financial collapse got fatter, while the rest of America got the scraps.
Timber theft is on the rise, as are attempts by state governments to stop it. In Alabama some proposed regulations to protect the state's $15 billion timber industry are causing a dust-up. Tanya Ott reports.
Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer talks with Kai Ryssdal about how far the health care debate has come in 2009 and how much further Congress has to go to approve reforms.
The Commerce Department can raise tariffs on steel pipes imported from China, following a ruling by the International Trade Commission. But the ITC decision virtually guarantees more sniping between the two countries. Jeff Tyler reports.
If a rich person dies Thursday night, almost half of their wealth will go to the Internal Revenue Service. If they hang on till Friday, their heirs will be a lot richer. Maybe. Amy Scott reports.
The Treasury Department has decided to give auto-financing company GMAC another $3.8 billion bailout on top of the $12 billion it's already received. But the reason GMAC's in so much trouble doesn't have much to do with weak car sales. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Last night's attack by Somali pirates on a merchant ship in the Indian Ocean is the latest of 214 vessels to be attacked this year. And government crackdowns are barely covering the scope of the problem. Stephen Beard reports.
Ever since the housing market collapsed, all eyes have been on that sector for signs of recovery. One good sign: "New Urbanist" developments. Adam Allington explores what sets these living situations apart.
Philadelphia said it couldn't afford its New Year's Day Mummers Parade this year. So to keep the century-old tradition alive, the Mummers pulled together to pay the city $150,000 to march. Gregory Warner reports.
The FDIC is collecting three-years' worth of premiums it charges to banks so that it can restore its depleted insurance fund. Mitchell Hartman reports.
If you've been in the work force for any amount of time, you have been asked to collaborate. But what if you just want to do things your way? Bill Radke talks with choreographer Twyla Tharp, who wrote a book on collaboration.
Russian oil giant Lukoil has signed a deal to develop one of Iraq's biggest oil fields. U.S. oil companies could have bid for the contract earlier this month, but few were present at the auction. Nancy Marshall Genzer explains why.
The federal government is expected to give about $3.5 billion of TARP money to GMAC so the lender can continue to meet the requirements of earlier stress tests. Bill Radke gets more from Marketplace's Alisa Roth.
Sundance and Cannes get all the attention but film festivals are being held around the world at almost any time of year. So Cash Peters figured it would be easy to enter one, get discovered, and make lots of money. He reports on his experience.
Sportswriter and commentator Jon Wertheim says getting a National Football League team for Los Angeles and its Latino sports fans would help the league toward its goal of having football rival futbol as the world's game.
Even if the recession is over, the prospect of a growing economy without a comparable increase in employment has given rise to the phrase "jobless recovery." Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman reviews this past year's labor market with Kai Ryssdal.
Fox says that unless it can reach a deal with Time Warner cable by Friday on the price of its programming, it's going to pull the plug on some Time Warner subscribers. The standoff points to changing business models in the media business. Jeff Tyler reports.
When it comes to strengthening airline security, how does the return on investment for checkpoint screeners and high-tech scanners compare to money spent on behind-the-scenes intelligence? Bob Moon reports.
Of the 20 cities in the Standard & Poors/Case-Shiller Index, fewer than half of them saw prices rise in October compared to a month earlier. Why was the index basically flat after five months of gains? Amy Scott reports.
The Case Shiller Index reports that in October, housing prices rose for the fifth straight month — though they're still down from last year. Bill Radke gets more from analyst Julie Niemann of Smith, Moore & Company.
If you're up in the air this week, you might find some people flying with you who are trying to squeeze in as many miles as they can before the end of the year. Jeremy Hobson explores the perks of frequent flyer miles.
Want to forget about bad 401K statements or the loss of your job to start afresh in the new year? You're not alone. Participants in Good Riddance Day gathered in New York City to run their woes through a giant shredder. Rafael Cohen reports.
Today's high of London's FTSE 100 brings the index back to where it was before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy last year. Stephen Beard delves into why London is surpassing Wall Street on the market stage.
Fox is threatening to pull some of its most popular programming from Time Warner if the cable company doesn't pay higher carriage fees. Both companies have taken the fight to the forefront by airing ads on the dispute. Mitchell Hartman reports.
To help move inventory, General Motors is offering incentives to dealers on discontinued brands such as Pontiac and Saturn. Bill Radke talks with Marketplace's Alisa Roth about whether or not this is a deal for car buyers.
Ever since the the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston decided to close 70 churches in 2004, parishioners at five of the churches have refused to leave. The stalemate has cost the archdiocese more $600,000 a year. And that amount could rise. Monica Brady-Myerov reports.
Even in this plodding economy some businesses act like times are flush — at least that's how it appears from the filings these companies submit to the SEC. Michelle Leder of Footnoted.org explains the fine print of those financial statements.
The "Old City" of Damascus, Syria, was once a run-down slum. Now foreign tourists are flocking to the ancient, walled quarter with its historic buildings. And their business has prompted a boom in boutique hotels. Don Duncan reports.
After studying the gross domestic product of 140 nations, economist and commentator Justin Wolfers says GDP turns out to be a good indicator of a country's well-being.
Chinese exports have grown an average 25% a year this past decade. That growth rate shouldn't be a huge surprise since China seemed barely rattled by the economic turmoil of 2009. Scott Tong in Shanghai looks back on 2009 and forward to 2010 with host Bob Moon.
After the failed attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, people flying into the United States from other countries could face longer waits and extra security screenings at airports. Amy Scott reports.
