Planet Money

To all the econ papers I've loved before

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A great economics paper does two things. It takes on a big question, and it finds a smart way to ans...

The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games in history. The game's staying power may in part be ...

Charles Ponzi's scheme

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some of history's biggest financial scams owe their name to Charles Ponzi. Here's the story of the m...

Big Rigged (Classic)

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Driving a truck used to mean freedom. Now it means a mountain of debt.Subscribe to Planet Money+ in ...

Two Indicators: The 2% inflation target

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If the Fed had a mantra to go along with its mandate, it might well be "two percent." We look into h...

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the Planet Money Movie Club, a regular series from Planet Money+ in which we watch an eco...

The economics lessons in kids' books

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

All sorts of lessons (even about economics) can be learned from kids' books. On today's show, we vis...

The Rest of the Story, 2022

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's that time of year again! Our annual year-end tradition of checking in on previous stories to he...

Which economic indicator defined 2022?

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2022 was a year of big economic changes. But what economic story most defined the year? Our hosts fr...

In defense of gift giving

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cold economic reasoning says, supposedly, that gifts are inefficient transfers of wealth. But Planet...

Two Indicators: The fight over ESG investing

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"ESG" investing – Environmental, Social, Governance – has attracted a lot of attention from inve...

The sports ticket price enigma

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation is making prices go up, except not for...sports tickets? So, we set out on a daylong sport...

Spam call bounty hunter

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Telemarketing calls are not only annoying; in some cases, they are illegal. Congress even gives you ...

The case of the missing cheese racks

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jelle Peterse's company ships cheese all over the world, but they don't always get their cheese rack...

When women stopped coding (Classic)

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of computing pioneers were women. For decades, the number of women in computer science was gro...

My Favorite Tax Loophole

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There's a big difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. But sometimes even avoiding taxes (l...

Messi economics

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Soccer star Lionel Messi is currently hoping to lead Argentina to victory in the World Cup. His path...

One economist's take on popular advice for saving, borrowing, and spending

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was first released as a bonus episode for Planet Money+ listeners last month. We're sha...

How the cookie became a monster

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

30 years ago, Lou Montulli set out to solve a fundamental problem with the internet, and accidentall...

Sam Bankman-Fried and the fall of a crypto empire

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Bankman-Fried built a reputation as the one reliable crypto bro. But within the span of days, hi...

The E-Book Wars

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2019, a group of librarians (quietly) stormed the offices of a major publisher, Macmillan, to pro...

Peak Sand (classic)

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sand. It's in buildings, windows, your cell phone. But there isn't enough in the world for everyone....

Planet Money tries election polling

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Polling is facing an existential crisis. Few people are answering the phone, and fewer people want t...

Two Indicators shaking China's economy

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Xi Jinping recently secured his third term as China's president – so we're looking at two shocks t...

Planet Money Records Vol. 2: The Negotiation

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We got our hands on the long-lost "Inflation" song, and now it's time to put it out into the world. ...

Planet Money Records Vol. 1: Earnest Jackson

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We try to start a real record label. Just to put one song out there. It's a song about inflation, re...

The high cost of a strong dollar

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to international trade and finance, everyone pretty much speaks one language: the U.S....

The money fixers (classic)

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you mend a broken bill? On this classic episode, we visit the Mutilated Currency Division.Sub...

You asked for coupons, Delaware, and the truth about goldfish

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, we're answering listener questions from the Planet Money inbox. Like, who really be...

Two Indicators: back to school

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's fall, so on this episode, we're taking you back to school. First, what sorority rush can teach ...

Forging Taiwan's Silicon Shield

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Taiwan is at the center of a global feud. Its main defense may be what some call its "Silicon Shield...

Economic anarchy in the UK

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the UK, was determined to change the British economy. Instead, ...

Would you like a side of offshoring with that?

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of restaurants took a hit during the pandemic. And when they struggled to find workers, some f...

The miracle apple (Classic)

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, how we got from mealy, nasty apples to apples that taste delicious. The story sta...

Econ's Brush with the Law

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you take some of the most powerful people in America — federal judges — and te...

The Midnight Connection

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Texas's energy grid is largely disconnected from the rest of the U.S. That led to disastrous consequ...

Vibecession Vibes Session

17 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're not in a recession, but why are the vibes feeling so off? We put the question to an economist ...

The Good, the Bad, and the Uggly

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Oygur is an Australian businessman who's sold sheepskin ugg boots for years. But one day, he w...

Two Indicators: unlikely economic relationships

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show - how your social circle is one of the strongest predictors of economic mobility and...

The salvage car Silk Road

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A practically brand new Lexus with a New Jersey inspection sticker lands on an auto body lot in Turk...

Breaking down the price of gasoline

03 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

High gas prices have fueled speculation and investigations — is anyone raising prices and keeping ...

SUMMER SCHOOL 8: Productivity & Getting Lit

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Productivity is our economic measure for how far our work goes, as individuals and as a society over...

Wake up and smell the fraud

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes online shopping can feel a little unsavory. There are the listings that make you question ...

SUMMER SCHOOL 7: The Fed & Volcker's Socks

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve plays a very important role in the economy. When things start to look uncertain,...

Inflation Reduction Actually

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Congress just passed the biggest, most ambitious climate bill in history. And it's called ... the In...

SUMMER SCHOOL 6: Trade & The Better Life

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

International trade is the web of cross-border relationships that binds economies together. Because ...

Carried interest wormhole

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The carried interest tax loophole is a way that wealthy Americans – often the people who manage he...

SUMMER SCHOOL 5: Car Parts, Celery & The Labor Market

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You can learn a lot about a person from their job. The same can be said of an economy. The market fo...

A new way to pay for college (Update)

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

College has gotten incredibly expensive. And some colleges are offering students a new way to pay. I...

SUMMER SCHOOL 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation can be one of the scariest forces in the economy. As prices rise and your dollar doesn't g...

We Buy a Superhero 8: Micro-Face: The Musical

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, Micro-Face: The Musical. A full concert recording of a one-of-a-kind Planet Money supe...

Two recession Indicators

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So are we in a recession or not? The jury is still out, but there are some warning signs. GDP is dow...

SUMMER SCHOOL 3: Booms, Busts & Us

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Life has its ups and downs. Same for the economy. Today we ask, can the business cycle be tamed? Two...

Little House on the Blockchain

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It has great bones, three bedrooms and one and half baths, and it comes with its own machine that mi...

SUMMER SCHOOL 2: GDP & What Counts

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What even is "the economy"? And how do you measure it? Our path out of the economic darkness and int...

Best by, sell by, use by

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wait, wait...don't throw that out! What if much of what you've been told about food expiration dates...

SUMMER SCHOOL 1: Recessions & Rap Battles

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's macro time! Today: Keynes vs. Hayek. Season 3 of summer school is here asking the biggest econo...

A tale of two cityhoods

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There's a movement underway in Georgia. More and more communities around Atlanta are choosing to kee...

Two crypto crash Indicators

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Two stories of consternation from inside the crypto world. Can a crypto crash spread to the wider ec...

Suitcases, secret lists, and Citizens United

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show: the Watergate scandal you haven't heard about – that led directly to Citizens Uni...

When Subaru came out (Classic)

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 90s, Subaru was struggling to stand out in a crowded automobile market. In their great...

Recession referees

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whenever the economic data start to look rough, we're forced to confront a familiar question: Are we...

The tale of the Onion King (Update)

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How one man's quest to dominate the onion market changed commodities trading, and potentially how mu...

The debate over what's causing inflation

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The last few months have made us acutely aware of inflation. We all agree that it's making our lives...

Let them eat lunch

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For many Americans, desk lunches are the norm. You might even be having one right now. But what if i...

The Gecko Effect

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Years ago advertising was dominated by cars and beer. Today on the show, how a simple slogan and a t...

On the case: Recession, formula, and greenbacks

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was just another day at the office. Then the phone started ringing and the caseload kept growing....

Homer Simpson vs. the economy

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When the beloved Simpsons family made its TV debut in 1989, it squarely represented middle-class Ame...

The bank war (Classic)

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1800s, populist president Andrew Jackson went head-to-head with the most powerful banker in A...

We Buy a Superhero 7: Collectibles (Live Show!)

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What transforms a regular object into a collectible? At our live show earlier this month, we went on...

The NRA's Secret Tapes

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Soon after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, leaders of the National Rifle Associa...

Investing in mediocrity

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is the key to success in financial markets a matter of luck or skill? One former bond manager shares...

How the burrito became a sandwich (Classic)

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A sandwich is generally defined as something delicious slapped between two slices of bread. New York...

Buy now, pay dearly?

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A wave of companies that allow customers to pay for items from their favorite stores in four interes...

A 12-year-old girl takes on the video game industry (UPDATE)

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Maddie Messer was 12 years old, she noticed an unfair dynamic in the video games she loved: pla...

The day Russia adopted the free market

07 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 90s, American economist Jeffrey Sachs was a part of a team that tried to transform Russ...

Escheat show (Classic)

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you're looking for money you've forgotten about, there's a chance the government might have it. T...

Planet Money book club

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Behind every Planet Money episode is a ton of reading. Today, we share some of our favorite books fr...

Risky business

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Two stories on how businesses are using insurance to navigate new kinds of risks. First, how music v...

We Buy a Superhero 6: The Comic Book

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After many, many delays, the Micro-Face comic book is here! And we answer the burning question: Why ...

TikTok to the top

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to TikTok, Tai Verdes went from struggling musician to Top 40 hitmaker. But first, he had to ...

The student loan paaaaauuuuuse

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pause on federal student loan payments was just extended for the sixth time in two years. So...w...

Peanuts and Cracker Jack (Classic)

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ballpark vendors share their strategies and other secrets to selling the most hot dogs at baseball g...

How manatees got into hot water

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While on the brink of extinction in the 1970s, manatees found sanctuary in the warm waters of Florid...

Turkey's runaway inflation problem

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Turkey is facing really high inflation, over 60 percent. Its president is taking an unorthodox appro...

When bricks were rubles

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For a brief, strange period after the U.S.S.R. collapsed, "real" money was less valuable than tradea...

The Bond King

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Investing legend Bill Gross revolutionized the bond market, built an empire, and lost it all. Our ve...

Fashion Fair's makeover

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fashion Fair was the first big national brand to make makeup for Black women, but it slowly faded in...

Two inflation Indicators: Corporate greed and mortgage rates

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate profits are soaring. So are prices. Can corporations just not raise prices? Would that fig...