Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland and MSN's Kathy Kristof answer listener questions. On tap this week: An unmarried couple splitting the finances, renting a condo to your children and helping a parent deal with his spotty finances.
What would you do if you walked into an A&W Root Beer — and they said they were out of root beer? Or, if you stopped by a KFC that was out of chicken? Well, we know one economist who recently experienced both. Host Tess Vigeland talks to Freakonomics correspondent Stephen Dubner about the economic theory behind bad customer service.
Tess Vigeland and Marketplace Money's senior producer Deborah Clark go through the mailbox, inbox, voicemail and Facebook page for listener responses to recent stories.
The housing crisis just hit another obstacle with the halt of foreclosures in nearly of the nation. Tess Vigeland talks to Nic Retsinas, director of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, about details of what's happened in the housing economy and what's to come.
Although some banks have just announced they're temporarily halting foreclosures, many homeowners are still in trouble and in need of answers. A non-profit group in L.A. tries to help.
Fees — many of them hidden — are everywhere these days. But that doesn't mean we have to give in to them. It pays to be a fee hawk, says commentator Chris Farrell, and it's time the government helps us out too.
As trust in banks falters and Americans try to budget their costs, many are turning to prepaid debit cards, where they can put up the money upfront and watch what they spend. But are they really a better alternative to credit cards?
It's no question that the housing bubble has created a huge effect on the housing economy today. But what would have happened to home prices if that bubble never happened? Robert Shiller of the S&P Case-Shiller index offers some insight.
Kai Ryssdal talks to Stephen Dubner, co-author of "Freakonomics" and "Superfreakonomics" about why runs are on the decline in baseball. It's probably not what you expect.
Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam talk to Marketplace staffers about Costco's survivalist, or ultimate lazy grocery shopper, deal; clowns defending their image; and babies on the Internet, even while in utero.
Professor Robert Zaretsky tells Kai Ryssdal that the French are productive — in spite of all the strikes. It's just that Americans don't understand the French perspective on work and living.
Marriage overall has declined, but a new study finds that people without college degrees are delaying marriage, whereas more of their bachelor's-holding counterparts are tying the knot, in a reversal of marriage trends.
It took a lot of stuff to create the world of a woman in search of herself in "Eat, Pray and Love" or the judging room of "America's Next Top Model." After wrap, many props are thrown away, but some entrepreneurs are saving props and re-selling them.
The Fed may jump in and try to help speed the recovery — some think the Fed's next move is to buy more bonds. Marketplace's Stacey Vanek Smith takes a look at what could happen if the Fed did just that.
If you take a closer look at the jobs added in September to keep the unemployment rate steady, many of the jobs are low-paying, temporary jobs — not exactly the jobs of a recovery.
The New Jersey governor's decision to pull funding from the New York-New Jersey commuter rail may give some temporary relief, but it also may have a negative long-term impact for both New Jersey and New York City.
All the week's business news in a 60-second poem. This week: A less-than-sunny jobs report, Japan slashes its interest rate, a trade war may be brewing, foreclosures, and the Beatles have fewer hits than Glee.
Gold prices keep reaching new heights. One reason for the rise? The World Gold Council said that for the first time in decades, central banks — the Federal Reserves of the world — are buying more of the stuff overall than they're selling. Amy Scott reports.
The war in Afghanistan has cost a lot of lives and money. In an effort to save both, Company I of the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines is conducting an experiment using renewable energy technology like solar panels and LED lights, and training Marines to operate it. The idea is to cut back on the the risk and expense of transporting fossil fuels across Afghanistan.
By the year 2050, the world's three most populous countries will be India, China and the United States. Which country will be home to the world's fourth largest population by mid-century — Nigeria, Indonesia, Bangladesh or Pakistan? The Globalist's Stephan Richter quizzes Bill Radke.
A new study from the Migration Policy Institute shows how the Great Recession is shaping immigration worldwide. Reporter Eve Troeh talks with Bill Radke about the study's findings and what's happening to immigrants already living in the U.S. and EU.
The Russian economy has boomed over the past decade, but U.S. firms have been slow to take advantage. The White House says our trade with Russia is about the same as with Thailand, a country with an economy a fifth of the size of Russia's. But things may finally be on the move. Peter van Dyk reports.
The FTC has proposed new guidelines to clarify confusion about what is and isn't eco-friendly. Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill talks with Steve Chiotakis about what the rules may change and what will happen to companies who overstates their products' environmental friendliness.
The annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington will soon take place. One of the big issues they're tackling: currency. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
The threat of a BlackBerry ban in the United Arab Emirates has been hanging over the smartphone's maker since the summer. The UAE government said it had security concerns because the Blackberry couldn't be cracked. But it's now agreed a deal with Blackberry maker RIM.
The Labor Department said the U.S. economy lost 95,000 jobs last month. How bad is this report? Jill Schlesinger, editor-at-large at CBS MoneyWatch, talks with Steve Chiotakis about the latest figures and what we can do to juice the economy.
This election season, many businesses are donating through outside interest groups. Why not donate directly to their chosen candidate or cause? Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
It's an accepted fact that as a foreigner in another country, you may get taken advantage of. The "foreigner price" may a price you can take or you can always walk away. Not always the case with businesses operating in foreign countries.
Health and anti-hunger advocates are divided over New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to prevent food stamps from being used on sodas and other sugary drinks
And hence doesn't have the right to issue foreclosure notices. The MERS system, which stores mortgage data electronically, is being scrutinized by home owners who are wondering why their foreclosure notices are invalid.
Fort McMurray, Alberta may be the only town that breathed a sigh of relief when the recession came. Fort McMurray is a modern day boomtown that's struggling to keep up with near 10 percent a year growth and the flood of money from the nearby oil sands.
Claims for unemployment benefits fell last week by 11,000. Economist Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial talks with Bill Radke how good that number is and whether she is concerned about countries competing to stimulate their own economies.
Big tech companies are not satisfied to just be on your computer or phone. They want to go where you really spend time — on your TV. We take a look at the emerging Google TV technology as well as the recently released Apple TV. We also give you an update on new Facebook features and talk about how people are cheating their way through an English hedge maze.
U.S. companies have more money on hand than they have had in a while. But, they're not using it to give you a job. Why? Reporter Eve Troeh talks the details with Bill Radke.
States are leaning on nonprofits more and more in this economy for all kinds of services — public safety, housing, food assistance. But a new report says cash-strapped states aren't paying the nonprofits on time. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
How will the U.S. unemployment rate come down? Economists are debating that very question. Economics editor Chris Farrell talks with Bill Radke about why some economists are saying that unemployment isn't cyclical, it's structural.
A new U.K. government report says a couple of things could very well go up soon — contributions to retirement and the overall retirement age. Europe correspondent Stephen Beard talks with Steve Chiotakis about what changes pensioners in the U.K. face.
At one point Northwest Plaza Mall in St. Louis was one of the largest in the region, home to some 200 shops. These days the mall sits empty, but for one last store. And when Mike Bartel's one-man shoe repair shop closes its doors later this month it will mark the death of one more American mall. Adam Allington has his profile.
Smoking kills millions of people each year. And now public health experts from 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region want to fight back. They're meeting in Australia to look at ways to take on the tobacco industry. The BBC's Phil Mercer reports.
The Justice Department is looking into whether banks have been improperly foreclosing on properties and evicting the owners. Ally Financial, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America have halted foreclosures in 23 states while they try to figure out whether legal paperwork is in, in fact, legal. What will the freeze will do to the real estate market? Alisa Roth reports.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the use of food stamps to buy sugary beverages, in a test plan he says would take two years. Reporter Eve Troeh talks with Bill Radke about why this is an important issue for the mayor and whether it would work.
The Federal Reserve is trying to stimulate the economy by buying billions of dollars worth of bonds from banks. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how that's supposed to work.
The Conservative Party of the UK's coalition government has been keeping its word about an immigration cap. But London is concerned that the policy will slow business and maybe even ground projects.
The University of Michigan is starting a new, super-charged business incubator. Researchers and venture capitalists and for-profit companies will both set up at the "venture accelerator," so collaboration can happen during R&D instead of after.
ShopRunner is an attempt by online retailers to lure loyal customers away from Amazon by setting up a program that allows unlimited shipping for $79 a year — like Amazon Prime.
Consumer spending is slowly creeping up and retailers may have busier stores during the upcoming holiday season — but they'll have to keep the discounts of seasons past to get shoppers through the door.
A report from the National League of Cities says the latest recession did more harm to city budgets than any other downturn in the last 25 years. Christopher Hoene, director of research at the League of Cities, talks with Steve Chiotakis about what's hurting U.S. cities.
Pennsylvania's deficit-ridden capital, Harrisburg, is facing bankruptcy. It won't meet its payroll as early as next week. The city's mayor has asked for state aid to avoid defaulting on bondholders, who are already suing for overdue debt payments. But it isn't the only city facing financial foreclosure. John Dimsdale reports.
More than 100 people in the U.S., England, and other countries have been arrested for stealing money online using a bit of malicious computer code called Zeus. But those arrests will not stop more of these attacks from happening. We learn what Zeus is, how it works, and how easy it is to purchase online.
Budgetary pressures may lead New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to pull the plug on an $8.7 billion commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River. Christie says cost-overuns may drive the price even higher and he needs that money for roads. It's a harbinger of what's to come for governors around the nation. Andrea Bernstein reports.
Microsoft is about to open its fifth and biggest retail store directly across from the Apple store at the Mall of America in Minnesota. It's Microsoft's boldest attempt to compete with Apple. Alisa Roth reports on Microsoft's year-old move into retail.
More private company jobs were cut in September —
39,000 of them. That's the latest word from employment services firm ADP. Richard DeKaser, president of Woodley Park Research, talks with Bill Radke about how bad this report really is and what it will take for companies to start hiring again.
After a night of dramatic negotiations, John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, now also owns the Liverpool football team in England. How do Liverpool fans feel about that move? Reporter Eve Troeh talks with Bill Radke.
The latest midterm election polls show Democrats may lose control of Congress. Conservatives have been campaigning on the theme of financial responsibility. It's a popular theme that's easy to talk about, yet so hard to follow through. Diane Lim Rogers, chief economist at the Concord Coalition talks the details with Steve Chiotakis.
