Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story
  • Tess Vigeland and senior producer Deborah Clark go over listener responses for past shows. This week: on RSVPing, going child-less and a reflection on the tough economic world out there.

  • Ten years ago, David Brancaccio visited a small town in Missouri named Cuba, then considered by one census to be the statistical "middle America." As part of his series Economy 4.0, Brancaccio took a visit back recently to check on how things have changed.

  • If you've ever bought a high-tech gizmo, chances are you've also been offered the opportunity to buy an extended warranty. But do you really need it? Nancy Marshall Genzer finds out.

  • Tess Vigeland and David Lazarus, personal finance columnist for the Los Angeles Times, answer your questions about saving for retirement when you're risk averse, what to do with your game show winnings and can your bank change the terms of your accounts whenever it wants?

  • The retirement company TIAA-CREF recently held a competition for ideas that would prompt people to save more. Jonathan Chan won. His idea? Incorporate savings rates into the credit scoring system. Tess Vigeland talks with the recent college graduate about how his idea would work.

  • Melissa Berman, president and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, talks with Tess Vigeland about the motivation behind giving, how much homework people should do before donating, and the trust deficit created by the recession.

  • Thinking of going green this holiday season? Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill takes us on her journey as she goes hunting for eco-friendly gifts.

  • It takes a certain level of consumer experience to shop at a big box discount. Ron Lieber of the New York Times clues the newbies in on the rules.

  • Your work becomes a big part of your life, to say the least. But what happens when your life starts reflecting your work — and your work is on a reality show about people who have accumulated too much debt? Sean Cole goes behind the scenes.

  • For all the purchases that we make, there are sure to be some regrets in the pile. So why do we buy what we buy? Tess Vigeland visits a consumer education class to dive into the reasons behind buyer's remorse.