Marketplace from American Public Media

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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The Climate Race

Special Report: Businesses and governments around the world vie for profits in a low-carbon economy. Go.
Financial Futures

Special Report: Talking money with tykes, teens and tweens. Go.

Things are looking up for home values

Home prices rose for a fourth-straight month in September, according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Marketplace's John Dimsdale tells host Steve Chiotakis what the rising prices mean for a housing market hit hard by the recession. More»

N.Y. official to ban sale of dropside cribs

A legislator in Long Island, N.Y., is signing a bill banning the sale of cribs with drop-down sides in his county. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports. More»
Providian: A creditor's perspective

Reporter Lowell Bergman talked to former Providian CEO Shailesh Mehta for a new "Frontline" documentary. More»

It’s coming at some point. The checkbook will be tossed onto the dustbin of history, as debit cards and who knows what else take over. The question is — will the check be allowed to gradually disappear or will it be murdered? British banks want to kill it ASAP.

Continue reading The death of checks

Nov 24, 2009 12:14 PM PT — Scott Jagow
0 Comments

Defaulting? Throw a party

A jaw-dropping statistic out today: 1 in 4 homeowners now owes more on their mortgage than the house is worth. Being under water on a home must be some kind of awful. Or is it? We have a good case study to discuss.

Continue reading Defaulting? Throw a party

Nov 24, 2009 10:47 AM PT — Scott Jagow
4 Comments

I know what you're getting for Xmas

Nope, sorry, it’s not a big screen TV. A new video iPod? Not this year. No fancy digital camera either. Come on, look at the economy. No, according to Goldman Sachs retail analysts, this is what you’re getting:

Continue reading I know what you're getting for Xmas

Nov 24, 2009 9:19 AM PT — Scott Jagow
2 Comments

Morning Reading

Good morning. You can almost smell the turkey, can’t you? Just a couple more days. In the meantime, there’s work to be done:

Continue reading Morning Reading

Nov 24, 2009 5:55 AM PT — Scott Jagow
2 Comments

Is college a waste of money?

A recent post about a 20-year-old woman who bought a home drew much attention here and around the web. I noticed in the comments that people were debating not only her decision to make such an investment but also her choice to skip college for the time being. Today, I read another article claiming that college may be a waste of money. So, let’s have at it.

Continue reading Is college a waste of money?

Nov 23, 2009 1:09 PM PT — Scott Jagow
18 Comments

On stocks and bonds

Let’s take note of what’s happening in the stock and bond markets as the year comes to a close. This may also help answer another reader question. Nic asks: Is the stock market artificially inflated right now? By what? What does that mean for the future? How will that affect other parts of the system?

Continue reading On stocks and bonds