Segments From This Episode

• The first 5,000 years of debt

  by David Brancaccio

  You may think that debts should always be repaid. But history shows that debts are always negotiable.

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• The weight of medical debt

  by Kelley Weiss

  Crippling medical debt isn't just for the uninsured. Even those with health insurance can be hit with a mountain of debt from an accident.

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• The economy needs more marshmallow eaters

  by Meghan Daum

  Many financially irresponsible people have been forced into responsible behavior since the recession started. But Meghan Daum says impulsive spenders need to return to help the economy.

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• Getting Personal: Housing and savings conundrums

  by Marketplace Staff

  David Brancaccio and personal finance columnist Liz Weston answer listeners' personal finance questions.

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• A bubble-less recovery

  by David Brancaccio

  President Obama's former economic adviser Austan Goolsbee talks about rebuilding the economy without another debt-driven bubble.

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• Greeks seeking employment abroad

  by Joanna Kakissis

  Many Greeks are only seeing one way out of the economic crisis in their country: moving abroad. A Greek family shares their hopes about moving to Italy.

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• A new yardstick to measure poverty

  by David Brancaccio

  The Census Bureau has a new calculation for measuring poverty. David Brancaccio takes a look at how this new metric changes our understanding of America's poor.

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