Marketplace
American Public Media
Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Description:
Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day’s business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. “Marketplace” takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.
Twitter:
@MktplaceRadio
Language:
English
Contact:
261 South Figueroa Street #200 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 621-3500
Email:
Letters@marketplace.org
Episodes
Attention turns to bank examiners in SVB fallout
3/24/2023
The Federal Reserve will release a report by May 1 on what happened at Silicon Valley Bank. A key part will be how bank examiners, the government employees who monitor a bank’s safety and soundness, supervised SVB. Today, we’ll look at what a bank examiner does — and doesn’t. We’ll also map new home sales and head back to college with some midlife students.
Duration:00:28:50
Happy rate hike-iversary!
3/23/2023
Long gone are the good ol’ days when inflation was described as “transitory.” This month marks one year since the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates to curb inflation, and we chart the relationship between rates and prices, and take stock of where we are. Plus, why some central banks follow the Fed’s lead and how small businesses are responding to banking turmoil.
Duration:00:28:47
The Fed’s stress testing is put to the test
3/22/2023
One way the Federal Reserve oversees the banking system is through “stress tests,” which help determine whether banks can withstand economic disasters. But only the biggest banks are required to undergo these tests. Could Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse change that? We’ll also unpack Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s rate hike remarks, check to see who’s currently hiring and gauge reactions to anticipated charges for COVID-19 vaccines.
Duration:00:29:26
Why bond prices fall as interest rates go up
3/21/2023
A simple economic phenomenon — that rising interest rates push bond values down — is part of what has weighed on financial companies like Silicon Valley Bank. We’ll take a closer look at the relationship and examine how the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes may have contributed to the current banking drama. Then, we’ll hear why the lowest rents are rising the fastest and what the end of additional SNAP benefits means for one mother.
Duration:00:29:12
Let the bank failure blame game begin
3/20/2023
The debacles that engulfed Silicon Valley Bank and other precarious financial institutions have sparked debates over who dropped the ball. Was it a regulatory failure, a supervisory failure, or both? On today’s show, we’ll parse out the answer. We’ll also explore what comes next for Swiss banking, what a Supreme Court case means for Navajo water rights and what small banks are doing to address liquidity concerns.
Duration:00:29:58
When group chats help fuel bank runs
3/17/2023
Back in the ’30s, news of bank collapses traveled slowly. But in the early hours of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, the news spread like wildfire through startup messaging chains on WhatsApp, Slack, Signal and Telegram. Today, how rumors and anxiety contributed to SVB’s downfall. Plus, grocery bills bum consumers out more than banking meltdowns and China’s population decline has far-reaching repercussions.
Duration:00:28:39
The forecast calls for tightening financial conditions
3/16/2023
“Financial conditions” influence the cost of money, and they’re being made much more complicated by recent bank collapses. Today, we’ll delve into how tightening financial conditions influence the Federal Reserve’s next moves and could make it harder for small businesses and consumers to get loans. Plus, why COVID may have fundamentally reshaped how we spend and what the Silicon Valley Bank collapse means for venture capital.
Duration:00:29:24
Credit Suisse turmoil stokes financial contagion fears
3/15/2023
Following the meltdowns of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Europe’s Credit Suisse is now in trouble. Though the Swiss bank’s problems predate the recent U.S. bank failures, some economists are asking whether the malady at Credit Suisse can or will infect the rest of global finance. We’ll also take a closer look at the role of regional banks and the communication tactics some are using to quell customer anxieties.
Duration:00:28:10
Where does banking oversight go from here?
3/14/2023
As we follow the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank, we’ll examine the parties involved in regulating finance — both state and federal — and what changes may emerge from the meltdown. We’ll also check in with a former Federal Reserve official who oversaw reforms and ask him to chart a path forward for Washington. Plus, shelter costs continue to drive inflation and cowhides help predict the economic future.
Duration:00:29:08
Silicon Valley Bank collapsed … now what?
3/13/2023
Add the spectacular collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank to the lengthy list of consumer concerns. Bank failures like these don’t just rattle their depositors, they stoke anxiety in everyone who hears about them. Today, we’ll feature special coverage of SVB’s demise — how Washington is responding, the ripple effects on other banks and what it all means for average consumers.
Duration:00:28:23
How Silicon Valley Bank failed
3/10/2023
Silicon Valley Bank, where many startups got their funding, is now in the hands of the FDIC after a collapse. On today’s program, we’ll take a closer look at the factors that spelled disaster for the bank and if other financial institutions are at risk. Also on the program: demystifying Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony in the Weekly Wrap and a silver lining in an unemployment uptick.
Duration:00:28:41
What if the Fed just can’t get the job done?
3/9/2023
The Federal Reserve has unleashed eight interest rate hikes in the past year, yet the economy doesn’t seem to be taking the hint. With unemployment at historic lows and consumer spending still robust, is monetary policy able to slow the economy any longer? And if not, what more can the Fed do? Plus, U.S. exports reached record highs in January and customers seeking retribution take to Yelp.
Duration:00:29:04
“A baby step in the right direction”
3/8/2023
That’s how one economist described today’s job openings report. The number of available jobs remains high but is on the decline, as is the number of people who’ve quit their gigs. It indicates that the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool the economy are working — at least in certain industries. Plus, converting office buildings to apartments, parsing the importance of seasonally adjusted data and gaming our way to a balanced federal budget.
Duration:00:29:20
For companies, it could come down to people versus profits
3/7/2023
Can we rein in inflation without unemployment surging? Though it’s an open question, one route to avoiding layoffs is for companies to accept lower profit margins and absorb additional costs. But whether they will is a whole ‘nother question. We’ll also unpack Day 1 of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Capitol Hill testimony, look at the workforce gap left by pandemic-era retirements and visit one of Los Angeles’ newest lesbian bars.
Duration:00:28:30
Tallying the steep costs of gender inequality
3/6/2023
A new study finds that gender inequality costs the global economy $7 trillion per year. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the roadblocks that persist for women and how addressing them could benefit everyone. We’ll also hear what’s on the docket for the economic week ahead, examine the demographic shifts in trucking and see whether the gas stove debate will heat up the induction market.
Duration:00:28:47
The battle for the Dungeons & Dragons economy
3/3/2023
A special game license allowed Dungeons & Dragons fans to create additional storylines and characters — and make money off of them. But when parent company Hasbro looked to change D&D’s license to get a cut of third-party profits, fans fought to protect the role-playing game community and economy. Plus, in the Weekly Wrap, the specter of layoffs and legislation aimed at boosting teacher pay.
Duration:00:27:31
Treasury Secretary Yellen on Ukraine, inflation and the debt ceiling
3/2/2023
This week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Kyiv to underscore U.S. support for Ukraine. Today, Yellen joined “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal to chat about her trip, the “moral obligation” to aid Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on Russia, as well as domestic economic concerns — from the politicization of the debt ceiling to cooling the labor market. Plus, what an inverted yield curve foretells and where consumers are cutting back.
Duration:00:29:31
Where’s the sweet spot for wage growth?
3/1/2023
There’s a running assumption that a strong labor market and wage growth will make it harder to slow rising prices. But how much does wage growth need to slow to get us to normal levels of inflation? Today, we’ll do the numbers on what economists say is ideal wage growth. Also on the program: rising loan balances, growing hurricane risks and the sound of a $10 million violin.
Duration:00:27:50
Restaurant tabs … as an economic indicator?
2/28/2023
The average consumer is hungry — to go out, that is. Sales at restaurants and bars are up nearly 25% since last January, but that spending surge coincides with dimming consumer confidence. What can all that going out tell us about the economy more broadly? Also on the show: bans on American investments in China, TikTok’s numbered days on government devices and Tubi’s CEO on ad-supported streaming.
Duration:00:26:23
The Federal Reserve is an institution in transition
2/27/2023
The Federal Reserve’s original job was to help the U.S. avert financial meltdowns. But propping up the pandemic economy forced the central bank to do some “soul searching.” Today, we’re joined by The New York Times’ Jeanna Smialek to examine the Fed’s history and its shifting role in the modern economy. Also, recession predictions are all over the map, and low housing inventory fuels new home construction.
Duration:00:27:23