Marketplace for Friday, December 31, 2010

Segments From This Episode

• Best of "Small Talk" in 2010

  by Marketplace Staff

  Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam showcase the most amusing pieces of news shared to them by Marketplace staffers on their Dinner Party Download segment.

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• Weekly Wrap: The year in review

  by Marketplace Staff

  Bob Moon talks to Leigh Gallagher from Fortune Magazine and Sudeep Reddy from the Wall Street Journal about whether the economic recovery started in 2010.

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• A black market for mooncakes in China

  by Rob Schmitz

  China's Mid-Autumn Festival and its tradition of eating mooncakes has lent itself to an underground economy worth billions.

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• Should kids register for gifts?

  by Marketplace Staff

  Gift registries for weddings are the norm, but what about registries for children? It's not always easy to know what to get a two-year-old. But is a registry necessary? Or maybe even rude? Sally Herships hits the birthday parties to find out.

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• Why that charity is sending you money

  by Jeff Tyler

  This is the biggest charity-giving time of the year, and you can probably tell by the amount of mail you've been receiving from non-profits recently. But does this sort of junk mailing work? Jeff Tyler reports.

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• Can’t get a real person on the phone? Tweet your complaint!

  by Adriene Hill

  The horrible wait music, the obnoxiously cheerful voice assuring you that a representative will be with you in a moment — when you've already waited for half an hour? You may be able to skip that by tweeting. Some companies are opting to respond to customer complaints via Twitter.

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• Planning for your long-term care

  by Gregory Warner

  Auto, health, home… and now long-term care insurance? Marketplace's Gregory Warner reports.

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