Spending
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Credit card companies are watching you
With credit card defaults rising, some companies are looking for reasons to cut your plastic. To make these decisions, banks rely on data about what you buy, where, and the company you keep. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports. (07/08/2009)
The untold costs of discount prices
Author and Atlantic correspondent Ellen Ruppel Shell talks with Kai Ryssdal about the hidden costs of U.S. discount culture and how many consumers don't understand how prices are set. (07/06/2009)
Do-it-yourself isn't always cheaper
People will try just about anything to save a buck. But sometimes the best way to save money -- and avert disaster -- is to call the professionals to begin with. Sally Herships reports. (07/03/2009)
Family takes frugality to the extreme
Many people living in comfortable surroundings are now embracing a frugal-chic attitude. Maine-based author W. Hodding Carter and his family are experimenting in being ultra-frugal for an entire year. (07/03/2009)
Getting Personal
Host Stacey Vanek-Smith and Economics Editor Chris Farrell answer listeners' questions about annuities, affording a seaside condo, timeshare properties, and secured credit cards. (07/03/2009)
Imagine a world without credit cards
What would happen if we all cut up our plastic and switched to cash? Sean Cole reports on a hypothetical world without credit cards. (07/03/2009)
Vacation savings: Are we there yet?
Travel-book publisher Pauline Frommer talks with host Stacey Vanek-Smith about where good vacation deals can be found this summer. And Stacey looks into what it costs to camp. (07/03/2009)
France's eateries serve up tax reduction
Going to a restaurant in France just got cheaper. The value-added tax on meals has been reduced to 5.5% from 19.6%. Tess Vigeland talks with Mark Williamson, chef and owner of two dining establishments in Paris. (07/01/2009)
Credit card use is ripe for data mining
These days, credit card companies are taking plastic away from a lot of consumers. To figure out whose credit to cut, companies look at where you live, where you shop, and what you buy. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports on data profiling. (07/01/2009)
California nears budget-gap deadline
Lawmakers in the state have until today to close the $24 billion budget deficit. Tess Vigeland speaks with Evan Halper, Sacramento bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, about the state's fiscal problems. (06/30/2009)
