Week of January 13th, 2014

This weekend on Marketplace Money, host Carmen Wong Ulrich explores the aftermath of the big consumer data breaches at Target, Neiman Marcus and other retailers. Consumer advocate Bob Sullivan explains how shoppers can prevent getting hacked and what to do if your credit or debit card has been compromised. Plus, Marketplace reporter Dan Gorenstein checks in on how consumers are finding their experiences with the Affordable Care Act, and we get an update on the traditional retirement savings rules from David Blanchett of Morningstar. Also, student loan expert Heather Jarvis helps out some listeners who have questions about financing higher education and musician John Roderick shares how his family influenced his financial habits.

Amazon could start shipping you stuff before you order it.

What kind of loans should you take out for graduate school? Find out when student loan expert Heather Jarvis joins host Carmen Wong Ulrich to answer callers' questions.

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The big banks are telling young workers they're required to take time off, as some talent leaves Wall Street for tech or other fields.

President Obama signed the $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through the end of September.

Millions of Americans have had credit card and debit card information stolen by hackers at big retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus. Marketplace Money host Carmen Wong Ulrich talks to consumer advocate Bob Sullivan about what we can do to keep our money safe.

The cities of Greenville, Greer, and Spartanburg, S.C., traditionally rose and fell with the textile industry.

On the 20th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, which population centers should be worried?

Do the old rules about retirement savings still apply today?

California's rainfall last year was the lowest since 1877, it hasn’t rained yet this "rainy season," fire watch started in January, and there's almost no Sierra snowpack to melt. There's a drought emergency in this giant agricultural state.

The NSA announcement is sucking up a lot of the oxygen today – but what should we be more worried about, the government holding data – or the likes of Target? Next,  we look at the cost of the nickel, which the U.S. Mint says hovers around ten cents. Changing the formula could cost the zinc folks, the vending machine vendors, and other coin-operated industries. Finally, California has gotten through a number of dry years without much fuss, thanks to the Sierra snowpack. But last year’s rainfall was the lowest since 1877, it hasn’t rained at all yet this “rainy season,” fire watch started in January, and the snowpack isn’t there to melt. There’s a drought emergency in this giant agricultural state.

Hey Smoking, you can add diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis to your list too! Studying abroad in Latin America gets a big boost. And when keeping up with the Jones' means getting your own private water well.

In a speech today, President Obama spoke about changes to the NSA's programs. He called for an end to the NSA holding on to call data and aimed to find a balance.

A new report out by the Surgeon General says smoking is a lot worse than we thought.

The company is reporting weak profits. Shell says it was hit by higher exploration costs and lower oil and gas volumes.

This week's Silicon Tally has some interesting Google & Nest news. How closely have you been following the tech happenings this week?

Scheming and dealing in chat rooms.

Plus a poll: Do you think your bank cares about diversity?

A Phoenix developer says new plans could bridge high-rise downtown and the Latino barrio of Grant Park.

President Obama is expected to announce some changes to the National Security Agency today. But are Americans really bothered by NSA surveillance? The NAACP is issuing a report card on diversity in the banking industry, and it doesn’t look good. The highest grade was a C+. And Shell Oil Company reported significantly weaker profits. The oil giant says it was hit by higher exploration costs and lower oil and gas volumes. 

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for our weekly numbers game, Silicon Tally. This week we play with Marketplace technology reporter Queena Kim. And Facebook is taking a page out of Twitter’s book. Facebook will now offer users a list of trending topics, so they can track what folks are posting about. It’ll roll out to American accounts in the coming weeks, tailored to user interest and location.

John Law was one of the first people to distribute paper money. It didn't end well.

JC Penney announced it will close 33 stores across the country, including the store in Butte, Montana.

We inherited my mother's home when she passed away two years ago. The home is located in a ski resort. We tried short-term rentals with the home, but it has not worked out like we thought. We live in another state and have quite a bit of debt: 420k mortgage, car loan, and 20k of credit card debt largely due to auto repairs and medical issues. We are current on all payments, but I am considering selling the inherited home, which could fetch 500-600k. I would use the money to pay off all of our debt. I am wondering if this is a rash or foolish idea. The allure of being debt free is so appealing right now. Your thoughts? Thanks!

In 1984, the Supreme Court approved the home recording of TV shows.

President and First Lady Obama met with more than a hundred college and university presidents and leaders from business and nonprofits to talk about helping low-income students finish college. One solution starts well before college, with high school guidance counselors.

Austin has banned watering lawns and raised rates for city water. So affluent residents are drilling private wells.

Kids’ pizza palace Chuck E. Cheese sold for almost $1 billion today. We dig into the rather curious story of the buck-toothed mouse, the business empire extraordinaire, and the equally unusual leader behind it. Then, we look at how tech companies and the individuals who run them want President Obama to restrict the NSA’s data collection and spying. Finally, news out today suggests that traditional retail is in trouble — Best Buy produced some horrendous earnings results, and JC Penney appears on the verge of collapse. The closure of these kind of stores would doubtless cause us some pain: Many people would be laid off. But otherwise, how much do these kinds of stores really matter to the economy? 

A private-equity firm plans to buy the kids' pizza palace. What on earth will they do with it?

How tech companies want President Obama to restrict the NSA’s data collection and spying.

Target's CEO advises victims of the credit hack to "be cautious about sharing personal information."

"The Loudest Voice in the Room" is Gabriel Sherman's new book chronicling the legacy of Fox News creator Roger Ailes.

Congress's Joint Economic Committee holds a hearing on income inequality. Just the latest congressional foray into the problem.

Walmart spokesman says the company looks forward to making its case before the NLRB and in federal court , and believes it will be vindicated.

Could personal coaches help low-income students graduate? The NBA is looking across the pond. And the current state of state finances.

A new study shows that certain words and phrases do a bad job at getting you the money you need.

Most states are doing good when it comes to their balance sheet, even capturing that elusive word — surplus!

That's a lot of tokens.

Ford's CEO got in some hot water after his comments about Ford cars collecting data on drivers worried some consumers. What are the emerging privacy issues we should be thinking about when it comes to new car technology.

New research finds a strong link between daily stock returns and hospital admissions.

It's yet another blow for the struggling company.

Yet another blow for JC Penney. The company says it will close 33 stores and slash 2000 jobs. Nigeria — the second largest economy in Africa — plans to start up a mortgage finance company similar to Fannie Mae here in the United States. And could too much financial news impact your mental health?

A Ford executive recently whipped up controversy when he said the carmaker knows when drivers of its cars break traffic laws. Ford’s CEO later said that Ford doesn’t — and won’t — track cars. He also called for better privacy laws as cars add new location-based technology. And a new study from Georgia Tech looks at how words you use can determine whether your Kickstarter campaign reaches its goal.

More than 100 college presidents will meet with President Obama to discuss ways to help low-income minority students graduate.

NBA officials have made it clear; they want to expand the brand in Europe.

Even fewer companies control the majority of the whisky market, after Suntory announces it'll purchase Jim Beam.

The National Security Agency has been able to access computers that are not connected to the internet for at least five years.

Knife sharpeners say they are still on the cutting edge, but their market is nearly obsolete.

You decide why you want to quit, an app sends an appropriate text to your boss.

Bank earnings look good, and big banks’ shares are doing well in the markets today. But for some years now, a significant contributor to earnings is simply the release of loss reserves set aside during the Bad Days. When accounting affects earnings so greatly, what’s the value of these earnings reports? Next, the conservative Koch brothers have been spending money for fall campaigns already. They’re targeting vulnerable Congressional Democrats who supported the ACA. But most campaigns say a dollar spent this early is a dollar spent unwisely. And finally,Viacom’s new My Nickelodeon Jr. takes personalized TV to the younger set – well, to their parents. Parents can program the TV their kids will watch  – sounds a bit like Netflix.

Over the past year and a half, Invitation Homes has spent $7.5 billion buying – and managing – those homes.

Viacom’s new My Nick Jr. lets parents program a channel – an attempt to hold more viewers on television.

The conservative Koch brothers are targeting vulnerable Congressional Democrats who supported the ACA.

When accounting affects earnings so greatly, what’s the value of these earnings reports?

The long-term unemployed, the NCAA debates paying its student athletes, and the Fed's bond portfolio.

The National Security Agency says it never shares intelligence with US businesses. Or does it?

And we mean incredible in the most literal way.

The trillion dollar budget agreement Congress is voting on initially included curbs on pension increases for military retirees. But they've been scaled back.

When the Fed sends less money to the Capitol, it also loses some political capital.

President Obama has called on employers to stop passing over long-term jobless applicants.

As rich economies expand, stronger growth globally is expected.

The World Bank says 2014 is going to be a good year for many global economies. As more patients visit doctors for their first check-ups under the Affordable Care Act, you might think the those in the medical lab business would benefit — but the truth is more complicated.

An accessory that actually works to ward off neuroimaging surveillance.

You'd think with millions of new patients coming in that lab owners would be drooling over their microscopes.

Messaging is driving a huge spike in mobile use. But text messaging has actually decreased. So what gives?

As the NCAA gathers for its annual meeting, is it considering a first step toward paying players?

One piece of news that maybe won’t blow your mind is that our mobile use around the world is way, way up. In 2013, it grew a 115 percent over the previous year. That’s according to mobile analytics firm Flurry. Why? Well here’s the interesting part: A lot of things drove growth. Music and other media, games, news all played a role. But the big kahuna of mobile usage last year? Messaging. Simply: The new ways in which we communicate.

Mexican drug cartels increasingly use small businesses in the U.S. to launder their criminal revenues.

For $3.2 billion, Google purchased device maker Nest.

Corn farmers like Keith Alverson in Chester, South Dakota are readjusting their plans for spring amid dropping corn prices.

When Twitter went public, shares of a home entertainment company with the symbol TWTRQ went bananas.

The Seahawks are limiting playoff tickets to credit card holders in the region – which rules out 49ers fans with California address.

A federal court said today the FCC can't force broadband companies to treat all content equally.

So much for neutrality. A federal court said today the FCC can’t force broadband companies to treat all content equally. That means giants like Verizon and AT&T — as well as cable companies — can pick favorites on the web, by slowing traffic from some sites and boosting the speed of others. Also, as American Idol opens its new season, it’s easy to forget how influential the show was when it began more than a decade ago. Just as “The Sopranos” changed cable, American Idol shook up the networks. And finally, the Seattle Seahawks are limiting playoff tickets to credit card holders in the region – which rules out 49ers fans with California address. Does engineering a bigger home-field advantage work?

Britain, France, and Belgium are commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War I this year — without the Germans.

As American Idol opens its new season, it's easy to forget how influential the show was when it began more than a decade ago.

Kids are applying to more colleges than ever, so institutions are using Big Data to figure out which students to target.

Six government programs the government is still funding. Believe it or not.

The ruling could have big implications for the way internet service providers grant access to content online.

A Supreme Court case about severance pay, the cost of a water ban, and the Fed's Reverse Repo.

The International Monetary Fund has ended up smack in the middle of the budget debate in Washington.

A case before the court involves whether the government should be allowed to take payroll taxes from severance pay.

Index futures for the U.S. are up this morning, but it's not a rosy picture in Europe.

For one woman looking for work, unemployment benefits kept certain career options. With Congress not extending benefits, a new plan is in order.

European markets took a dive this morning. And our own Wall Street wasn’t looking too good yesterday either. A look into the reasons behind why the numbers plummeted. Over a million people lost their unemployment benefits at the end of last year and Congress still can’t agree on an extension. If Congress doesn’t renew an extension, that number will grow to 5 million by the end of the year.

If you’re selling a successful startup these days your price tag should have several billion dollars on it. That seems to be the going rate, and smart thermostat maker Nest just got snapped up by Google for $3.2 billion. Nest’s CEO Tony Fadell once worked for Steve Jobs designing iPods, now his direct boss will be Google’s Larry Page. And one more bit of acquisition news. Facebook has bought Branch and Potluck — platforms for long, invite-only conversations online. The people behind those companies will now help run the new Facebook Conversations Group. Talk ain’t cheap in the tech world I guess. The deal? Reportedly worth $15 million.

The Fed is testing out new tools to fight inflation that may be coming down the road.

Google could be moving in. The tech giant bought smart home thermostat maker Nest yesterday for $3.2 billion.

People had to suspend the convenience of running water, and instead relied on bottled water for everything except flushing toilets.

Bank of American and other Wall Street firms asked their junior employees to start taking Sundays off.

The federal government announced that nearly 2 million people enrolled for health insurance through the federal and state exchanges in December.

The Seattle Seahawks have set up a defense to prevent 49er fans from buying tickets to this weekend's game.

The big auto show in Detroit is underway and the hottest car market is China.

The ban on tap water was lifted for a small small chunk of West Virginia today.

In Mexico, sounds of the organ grinder are fading away.