When the going gets tough, just keep spending

Segments From This Episode

• Fed holds interest rates steady at Warsh's first meeting as chair

  by Sofia Terenzio

  "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal breaks down the news coming out of the central bank.

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• How do consumers manage to keep spending?

  by Mitchell Hartman

  

  Overall retail sales in May were up 0.9%, much more than economists expected. And it’s not just because things were more expensive.

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• Consumers are spending more on their hobbies

  by Stephanie Hughes

  

  According to the latest Census report, sales at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book stores were up 11.3% in May from the same time a year ago.

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• Fewer Americans are forming new households. That could make housing even more expensive.

  by Samantha Fields

  

  When the price of housing is high, moving out of a family home or other group living situation to live on one’s own is less attractive.

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• The Numbers

  by Kai Ryssdal

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• What would happen if the U.S. dollar lost its reserve currency status?

  by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

  

  The U.S. dollar enjoys the “exorbitant privilege” of being the world’s reserve currency. What would happen if that changed?

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