Episode 452: How Much Should We Trust Economics?
This week, a grad student found a simple error in one of the most famous economics studies of the past several years. Should this change the way we think about economic research?
Debt
Planet Money posts about Debt
A Hitler-Themed Piggy Bank, And Other Ways The U.S. Sold War Bonds
by Lam Thuy Vo
National ad campaigns, star-studded Broadway rallies, and a pig with a tiny mustache. How the government got citizens to fund wars.
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Household Debt In America, In 3 Graphs
Lam Thuy Vo and Jacob Goldstein
See how much Americans owe, what they're borrowing money to pay for, and how much of each paycheck goes to pay off debt.
Why A Hedge Fund Seized An Argentine Navy Ship In Ghana
by Jacob Goldstein
More than a decade after Argentina refused to pay back $100 billion in debts, the country's assets are still vulnerable to being impounded by the repo man.
Draghi: Do Exactly As We Say, And We'll Hand Over The Money
by Jacob Goldstein
Are you a eurozone country? Are you having a hard time borrowing money? Mario Draghi has a deal for you.
Inside America's Most Indebted City
by Zoe Chace
The bizarre tale includes a do-gooder who skipped town, an epically mismanaged incinerator, and possible criminal behavior.
Household Debt : Falling. Slowly.
by Jacob Goldstein
Mortgage debt is falling, but still high. Student debt is rising.
Episode 397: Why The Hero Of Harrisburg Couldn't Save The City
The city of Harrisburg, Pa is $1.5 billion in debt. The man who once was in charge of the saving the city explains how it went so wrong and why it's so hard to fix it.
Paying For College: Financial Aid In America, In 2 Graphics
by Lam Thuy Vo
Tuition has gone through the roof in the past decade. But so has financial aid.
One Key Group That's Not Worried About U.S. Debt
by Jacob Goldstein
Despite hand-wringing over U.S. debt and decline, investors are more eager than ever to lend money to the U.S.
The Bankrupt Rapper Who Bought His Own Stuff At An IRS Auction
by Zoe Chace
And he live-tweeted it. "Bought this back, just to give it away!"
Episode 389: Handling Other People's Money
We revisit three radio pieces, on how blind trusts work, how the European Central Bank has been flexing its muscle, and why public pension plans are about to look less healthy.
Wait, Investors Paid Germany To Hold Their Cash?
by Theo Francis
Government debt auctions have been turned on their head in a few places recently, with investors promising to pay interest rather than receiving it. We examine what it might mean.
Dissecting Federal Spending With An Eye On Cuts
by Theo Francis
Big automatic budget cuts slated for January 1 has spurred talk of spending cuts and other budget fixes. We revisit where federal spending actually goes.
