Segments From This Episode

• New retail business applications are up, according to Census data

  by Henry Epp

  

  Applications are booming across the board, but retail has seen a particular spike.

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• Driving blind in this economy

  by Kai Ryssdal, Sofia Terenzio and Nicholas Guiang

  "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal speaks with Abdullah Al-Bahrani, associate dean and professor of economics at Northern Kentucky University, about the state of economic data.

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• How health insurers weigh whether to cover certain drugs

  by Lillian Karabaic

  

  In some cases, paying more upfront can reduce emergency care and hospital bills later. A life-saving allergy injector helps explain the economics.

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• Home builders are feeling slightly better headed into 2026

  by Samantha Fields

  

  The latest survey from the National Association of Home Builders showed confidence ticked up in December, but two-thirds said they’ve had to offer incentives lately to get buyers to commit.

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• The Numbers

  by Kai Ryssdal

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• A penny here or there can really impact the bottom line

  by Carla Javier

  

  Now that the government has stopped minting pennies, retailers and restaurants that tend to do a lot of cash business want the federal government to come up with a standard for rounding.

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• How a boutique gardening company thrives in a high-cost-of-living area

  by Livi Burdette

  

  In coastal San Diego, Alex Redlinger has built Red’s Gardening Co. from the mulch up.

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