09/19/2017: What to expect from tomorrow’s Fed meeting
Sep 19, 2017

09/19/2017: What to expect from tomorrow’s Fed meeting

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The Federal Reserve has been backstopping the American economy for almost a decade with its $4 trillion pile of bonds and mortgage-backed securities it bought up during and after the financial crisis. The idea was to keep borrowing costs low and goose the whole economy. It's widely expected that the Fed's going to start unwinding its balance sheet tomorrow, letting the economy work a little more normally. So what's going to happen? Then: FEMA says fewer than 20 percent of the homes affected by Harvey carried flood insurance, and that makes recovery all the more difficult. Plus: A new study from Yale University says Americans, mostly white Americans, are just plain out of touch with how economically unequal this country is.

Segments From this episode

She quit her six figure job to help other women better understand their cars

Sep 19, 2017
Patrice Banks was a failure analyst and a self-described "auto airhead" when she become a mechanic, then opened an auto repair center aimed at women.
At Patrice Banks' auto repair shop, you can get your oil changed and your nails done.
Courtesy of Patrice Banks/Girls Auto Clinic Repair Center

Mortgage lenders lower barriers for those with student debt

Sep 19, 2017
New rules can help those with high student debt still qualify for a mortgage.
Mark and Kristen Griffin outside the home they rent in Conway, Arkansas.
Sarah Whites-Koditschek/ for Marketplace

Why we still don't grasp racial economic inequality

Sep 19, 2017
A new study from Yale suggests some Americans are more blind to economic inequality than others.
Job seekers get information about city jobs during a job fair hosted by the city of Chicago, Illinois. 
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund hits $1 trillion

Sep 19, 2017
There’s some big money news out of Norway today. Population: a bit over five million. Money in the country’s sovereign wealth fund: at least a trillion dollars as of today, according to Norway’s central bank. That’s more than two and a half times Norway’s GDP or about $188,000 for every Norwegian citizen. This fund is […]

The Federal Reserve has been backstopping the American economy for almost a decade with its $4 trillion pile of bonds and mortgage-backed securities it bought up during and after the financial crisis. The idea was to keep borrowing costs low and goose the whole economy. It’s widely expected that the Fed’s going to start unwinding its balance sheet tomorrow, letting the economy work a little more normally. So what’s going to happen? Then: FEMA says fewer than 20 percent of the homes affected by Harvey carried flood insurance, and that makes recovery all the more difficult. Plus: A new study from Yale University says Americans, mostly white Americans, are just plain out of touch with how economically unequal this country is.

Music from the episode

Get Right Jennifer Lopez
Pistol Pump Funk Argonaut & Wasp