Marketplace Stories

Protests in Iran have left more than 20 people dead since they started last week. These are the country’s largest demonstrations since 2009, when millions protested the results of a presidential election. This current wave of protests was sparked by something different, however: economic inequality. Marketplace host Lizzie O’Leary spoke with Bahman Kalbasi of the […]

It’s the highest first-of-the-year price for oil since 2014. But the companies producing crude are taking a more cautious view of things than the investors and lenders who back their efforts. From unrest in Iran to uncertainty about the new tax code, oil could face a profitable but turbulent year. Click the audio player above […]

Congress has to pass legislation to fund the government by Jan. 19. Otherwise, there will be a partial government shutdown.  And some policy analysts believe there’s a good chance a partial shutdown is coming.  That’s because Democrats and Republicans are far apart on issues like immigration, and the ratio of defense and non-defense spending. They […]

The value of the dollar dropped some 10 percent in 2017. That’s the greenback’s worst performance in more than a decade. And analysts say the dollar could lose even more ground this year.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

As of today, 18 states and 20 cities have new higher minimum wage requirements. The changes affect roughly 4.5 million workers. The wage hikes run across the country, from Maine to California. Then you have cities doing their own thing, setting a higher local minimum wage than the state overall. That’s happening in Minneapolis, Tacoma, […]

By some measurements, 2017 was a disastrous year. Hurricanes wreaked havoc in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. California saw its most destructive wildfire season ever. Beyond the human toll, natural and man-made calamities also made 2017 one of the most expensive years ever for insurance companies. According to estimates from Swiss Re, insured losses from […]

Now that the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul has been signed into law, the real fun begins for accountants. They’re scrambling to understand the legislation, which runs more than 1,000 pages and includes fundamental changes to the corporate tax rate, the standard deduction and tax brackets for individual filers. CPAs and tax lawyers around the nation […]