Week of October 7th, 2013

You answered a question on the air from a young soon to be married person regarding life insurance. You advised that the standard 1x salary being offered by his employer is probably "enough", but you never asked if he had any outstanding debts. What for example, happens to student loan debt if a person dies? I'm aware that student loan debt can't be discharged in bankruptcy, but can it be discharged in death? Would a surviving spouse then be responsible for the student loan debt? Other debt, I am certain would become the responsibility of the surviving spouse, such as a car loan or credit card debt, but I have no idea what happens with student loan debt…Shouldn't debt also be considered when considering life insurance? We always hear about how do want to "take care of" after death, such as funeral expenses, and supporting our survivors' life style for a period of time or if there's children helping them to pay for their education, but I've never hear anyone speaking of discharging the debt as something that also needs to be "taken care of".

I am retiring on January 1. I have to select how I want my defined pension amount monthly. One option is to have the same amount paid no matter if my wife or I die first. The amount will always stay the same until we both die. The second option is to receive higher amount until one of us die. After that, the amount goes down by one third. The second option would give me about $6,000 more annually, but about $22,000 less when one of us dies. I am thinking about doing the first option to keep pension constant for both of us. Any suggestions?

A Chinese property developer has unveiled plans to recreate the Crystal Palace, a cast iron and glass building that burned down in the 1930s, in south London.

Electric-car company Fisker heads to the auction block. What lessons can it learn before a potential relaunch?

The Weekly Wrap takes a look at the continued government shutdown and what's ahead in the debt ceiling talks.

We all need to eat. You'd think that would make the supermarket business a sure thing. You'd be wrong.

Leaders at a few startups in Silicon Valley test out new strategies to raise diversity at their workplaces.

Some financial institutions, worried they might not get their money back if the Treasury defaults on its debt, are selling their short term government debt. This presents risks to the financial system and to the economy.

So many metaphors have been used to describe the government shutdown. Do they help at all?

Ever wonder how much it would cost to keep "Downton Abbey" running? A look at the real costs of staffing, upkeep, and more for some of TV's famous homes.

Investors worldwide are selling their short-term government debt out of fear of a U.S. default. Why that could be disastrous. Meanwhile, there’s been some colorful language used to describe the government shutdown. We take a look at the verbiage. Plus, refinancing has changed the way people buy and sell homes, but how is it affecting everyone in the long term? Also, why Safeway bowing out of the Windy City, how leaders in Silicon Valley are trying to increase diversity, and why not everyone’s thrilled about the idea of Chinese developers funding the rebuilding efforts for Britain’s Crystal Palace. And we wrap up the week with our Weekly Wrap. 

Americans used to believe that when you retired, your house should be paid off. That was, of course, before the refinancing boom.

Kara Miller, host of WGBH radio show Innovation Hub, talks about her favorite things at EmTech.

Two weeks in, what's the status of the state and federal insurance exchanges?

Trying to figure out economic data without official government statistics. Employers can give employees bigger discounts on health care if they participate in wellness programs. But what if instead of gym memberships, those programs handed out devices that tracked your every step? And, Ben Bernanke completes his term in January. Help us send him off!

The Nobel Committee's decision highlights the Syrian conflict.

Trying to figure out economic data without official government statistics.

Employers can give employees bigger discounts on health care if they participate in wellness programs. But what if instead of gym memberships and health surveys, those programs handed out devices that tracked your every step?

But could the British government have gotten more from the sale?

Marketplace Money's personal finance editor Chris Farrell joins the show to answer your questions.

Approaching the zero lower bound, some might say.

Demand for music remains high. But seeing it live is another issue.

Republicans and Democrats are using words we haven't heard in a while, like "progress," "forward," and "movement."

250 minutes and 378,000: Can you guess what these two numbers mean?

These robots are straight out of a movie.

Stock prices surged Thursday as news broke that power players in Washington might be able to avoid a default and raise the debt ceiling by next week. We get the latest updates on the shutdown and the fight to raise the debt limit. When the Broncos host the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, Denver will be a heavy favorite — an almost four-touchdown favorite. The Las Vegas “line” on the game — that’s the expected difference in points by the end of game — is one of the biggest ever. And, after a long management lock out and then a contract offer of lower pay was rejected by musicians, conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra quit the other day. The New York City Opera will close its doors this month. Is the classical music economy tanking?  

Marketplace Tech is at MIT this week to visit the emerging technology conference EmTech. There are serious academics here doing big things. But new innovations and new technology also offer new challenges. Funding that must be found, new parts that must be built and more.

Analysts, executives, and journalists are left with a patchwork of numbers put together by private firms and academics in the absence of federal data during the partial government shutdown.

Sign spinners at the local bagel shop make minimum wage. That is, if they have a beating heart. Are we about to lose even these low-skilled service jobs — jumping-around-holding-a-sign-dressed-in-a-silly-costume-while-rapidly-moving-vehicles-speed-by — to robots? Marketplace’s intrepid labor-trends reporter Mitchell Hartman investigates.

This Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and the Jacksonville Jaguars has already made history: The spread on the Las Vegas betting line is one of the biggest ever. So where does that number come from?

T-Mobile CEO John Legere discusses his company's plans

Investors seemed pleased that politicians in Washington were discussing a plan, and that lawmakers from both parties met with President Obama.

Reports that Swiss food giant Nestle may be looking to sell off weight-loss company Jenny Craig have some pondering the future of diet food companies as online weight-loss apps proliferate and people balk at spending on specialty diet menus.

Local shops and national chains will lean on experienced hands to give them an edge.

Small business owner Olalah Njenga says even if companies can recover quickly from the shutdown, it'll still weigh in the back of owners' minds.

The White House has decided to cut some military aid to Egypt. But the impact won't be felt among regular Egyptians.

The Mission Asset Fund in San Francisco leverages informal lending circles of low-income immigrants, to help borrowers eventually gain access to mainstream bank loans.

This Week: The Fed & the 401(k). President Obama nominated Janet Yellen to be the next Federal Reserve chair. We take a look at that news in the context of one area where the Federal Reserve matters: interest rates and housing. And, more than 70 million Americans have retirement accounts at work. In the last few years, there have been more lawsuits filed by workers against their companies and the plans they administer. What should you know about your 401(k)? A primer on the questions to ask your administrator about fees and performance. Plus, an update on the health care exchanges. Then, Marketplace’s Chris Farrell answers your personal finance questions, including when to buy life-insurance.

Alice Munro's Nobel Prize for Literature is unusual in that she was a short story writer, rather than a novelist. How did she manage to make a career as a short story writer?

Hollywood Health and Society, part of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, has created a health care-information pipeline straight to the entertainment industry

As the government shutdown continues, we look at potential deals to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. We speak with one small business owner to see how she’s been affected by the shutdown. Meanwhile, Jenny Craig has helped people shed pounds over the years. But lately its profits have been slim. Now Nestle wants to lose it. Speaking of health, the Obamacare story has hit a new stage: TV and film. Also, a look at a new approach to credit, how to make a career as a short story writer, and and update to the situation in Egypt. 

Some House Republicans are inching toward a debt ceiling deal.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew was on Capitol Hill this morning trying to convince lawmakers to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling. And, local shops and national chains will lean on experienced hands to give them an edge.

I'm deathly afraid of over-funding my children's 529's for college. Right now we're aggressively funding their 529's to help cover most of their undergraduate educations. However, if either of them don't spend much for college (maybe they go to trade school, earn tons of scholarships, etc.), then we will have this money locked into these 529's and penalties to pay on the way out! Our financial adviser says that the money can always be used for a relative, but I'm not sure I want to give $20,000 to a niece or nephew (who are already well-funded). Should we be saving a portion of college-earmarked funds elsewhere?

A new Pew study finds that adult Americans aren't just watching online videos, they're making them as well.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is on Capitol Hill this morning trying to convince lawmakers to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.

The staff of the Office of the Senate Curator that's responsible for keeping the thing wound has been furloughed.

How the Media Lab came to be the Media Lab.

At MIT, researchers are hard at work on building the next generation of helmets.

The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for global economic growth to 2.9 percent for 2013. This comes as central bankers, finance ministers, and development pros from around the world gather in Washington for the annual meeting of the World Bank and IMF gathering today. First it was mobile phone service with no commitment, no contract. Then it was phone upgrades every six months. What some see as the also-ran of American wireless, T-Mobile, is having a new bout of iconoclasm. Last night the company that likes to call itself the “un-carrier” surprised the industry with a plan that lets people use data and text in foreign countries at no extra charge. T-Mobile CEO John Legere sits down with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccaio.

We’re visiting MIT in Boston this week as part of the Emerging Tech conference put on by The MIT Technology Review. One of the buildings we wanted to visit at MIT is the McNair Building. It holds MIT’s Man Vehicle Laboratory. There, Professor Larry Young and his others are working on an important tech innovation. But it’s far from fancy software or the latest startup. It’s a long term mission to protect our brains. Whether you’re on the ski slope, on a bike or headed to Mars.

A federal court in Maryland ruled this week that the state had failed fully to desegregate its public higher education system.

Shutdown. Looming default. Change at the Federal Reserve. These are anxious times as global financial leaders gather in Washington.

A new show on Oxygen fuses religion and wealth, igniting an age old debate in Christianity.

In his travels for The Atlantic and Marketplace's American Futures project, Jim Fallows says the American economy in small cities and towns is doing all right.

First Yahoo. Now Hewlett-Packard is telling telecommuters to come back into the office.

When it comes to personal finance, a military-esque dedication to discipline can work well.

If the U.S. fails to raise the debt ceiling in time, we'll default on loans from a whole bunch of lenders. Our two top foreign creditors — China and Japan — have both warned the U.S. government to be careful. What’s at stake for them?

A cadre of so-called "debt-limit deniers" says it’s no big deal if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit.

EDM events make big bucks.

Wall Street workers weigh in on Janet Yellen as Fed chair and how things might change with her in the hot seat.

We’re one day closer to the October 17th deadline for the U.S. government to either raise the debt ceiling or default on loans from a whole bunch of lenders. But a cadre of so-called “debt-limit deniers” says it’s no big whoop if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit. That’s not helping ease worries from America’s two top foreign creditors — China and Japan have warned the U.S. to be careful. Meanwhile, Janet Yellen is the nominee to be the next Federal Reserve chair. We ask Wall Street how they feel about that. Plus, in the latest installment of our “Americans Futures” series, The Atlantic’s Jim Fallows talks about about small towns that aren’t feeling the pain of the government shutdown. Also, stories on emergency philanthropy and Iowa’s farmland. 

Many travel industry employees — hotel staff, rental car drivers, curbside baggage checkers — receive tips. What about flight attendants?

A look at the life and career of President Obama's nominee for chair of the Fed. What would the Fed be like under Chair Janet Yellen, and how is Wall Street reacting to the White House's announcement? And, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway made a killing off investments in distressed companies during the recession.

Musician David Byrne argues that wealth inequality in New York is favoring the rich over the creative.

And how is Wall Street reacting to the White House's announcement?

A look at the life and career of President Obama's nominee for chair of the Fed.

Without a local partner, Walmart will be unable to open more stores in India.

The Oracle of Omaha's Berkshire Hathaway made a killing off investments in distressed companies.

The certificates were a collectors' favorite.

Cities can make big data more accessible to improve quality of life and make services more efficient,

Electrical surges at a National Security Agency hub has delayed the center’s opening for over a year.

The White House confirmed this morning that President Obama will nominate Janet Yellen as chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. If she is confirmed by Congress, she will be the first woman to hold that position. Yellen is currently the Fed’s vice chairwoman and a former member of Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers  We’ll find out who she is, and also take a look at the legacy of Ben Bernanke, the man she will potentially be replacing. Also, Walmart experiences a major setback in its quest to become a retail giant in India.

We’ve been covering news about underground online market Silk Road since federal agents arrested the site’s alleged founder in San Francisco last week. Today there’s a bail hearing for Ross Ulbricht. Authorities say he masterminded the so-called eBay of drugs. Just using Silk Road, though, was a tricky process. Buyers and sellers had to deal in digital currency and use a kind of identity protection software called Tor.

There is a bail hearing Wednesday for the alleged mastermind behind the website Silk Road, where users could buy drugs, guns, and even hitmen.

There are reports that President Obama will nominate Janet Yellen as the next chair of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

A former Silicon Valley exec lives to tell the tale (in novel form).

Ever wished you could talk back to your radio? Use the new Marketpalce "Record Button" to send us an audio comment from your computer or mobile device.

A look at how a hog farmer in Illinois is being affected by the gridlock in Washington.

Data from business travelers finds McDonald's and Starbucks account for 8 percent of all food expenses.

The Treasury Department has said Congress needs to extend the nation’s borrowing authority by Oct. 17 or risk default. But private observers say that date might be more like Oct. 22, or maybe even Nov. 1. Plus, a survey out today finds many business travelers opt for McDonald’s and Starbucks (they account for 8 percent of all food expenses). It’s not because of corporate budget constraints. Fast food joints attract busy, solo business travelers looking for a reliable wi-fi connection. Congress and the media are on full-on freak-out as we head towards default. To the outsider, it looks increasingly likely that we’ll fail to pay the interest we owe on our Treasury bonds. And yet, if you look at the bond market you’d have no idea anything was going on.

The Nest Protect costs four times as much as a normal smoke detector.

How is Wall Street reacting to the debt ceiling debacle? Using a Kickstarter-like web platform to fill the gaps left by the police force in Oakland. And, 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai ‘s book comes out tomorrow.

How is Wall Street reacting to the debt ceiling debacle?

Then it starts a journey that will likely take it overseas or underground into a big pile of cash that nobody can find.

While the big banks have mostly paid the money back, small community banks are now struggling.

All eyes are on China and its economy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Bali.

Data show the vaccine is modestly effective against malaria.

In a 12-hour day, that's about once every six and a half minutes.

On a day of dueling press conferences over the federal shutdown, private observers say the date we may exhaust our borrowing authority may be later than expected.

The health care exchanges are still a technical mess, and some insurers are beefing up their own sites to help people get started.

As we head towards the debt ceiling deadline, stocks are looking wobbly, and Congress wobblier still. But the debt market looks weirdly zen.

Using a Kickstarter-like web platform to fill the gaps left by the police force

Attention all athletes and visitors to the Winter Olympics in Sochi: someone is listening to you.

Could a startup revolutionize online banking?