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Corinne Louie
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Corinne Louie

Willa Rubin

Associate Producer, Planet Money

Willa Rubin is an associate producer at Planet Money, and she likes telling stories that explore how the economy impacts everyday people. Before joining Planet Money, she helped launch and co-produced Gimlet Media and the Wall Street Journal's podcast "The Journal," a daily news show which has won awards from the New York Press Club and from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. She previously interned at The Indicator from Planet Money. She has a master's degree in journalism from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at CUNY and studied politics at Oberlin College. She's a lifelong New Yorker and loves cats.

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Wednesday

Wednesday

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

James Stewart, left, Thomas Mitchell, right, and Donna Reed appear in the 1946 movie "It's A Wonderful Life." (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Planet Money

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

Welcome to the Planet Money Movie Club, a regular series from Planet Money+ in which we watch an economics-related movie and discuss! On today's episode, Kenny Malone, Wailin Wong, and Willa Rubin talk about Frank Capra's 1946 classic 'It's A Wonderful Life.' They discuss CPI adjustments, how a copyright lapse helped make the film more popular, and what exactly a 'Building and Loan' is.

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

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Friday

In defense of gift giving

The hosts of Planet Money at exchanged gifts at their remote Secret Santa party. They not only received presents to forever cherish, but also a lesson in economics they'll never forget. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR hide caption

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Planet Money

In defense of gift giving

Cold economic reasoning says, supposedly, that gifts are inefficient transfers of wealth. But Planet Money host Jeff Guo believes in the economic virtues of gift giving. On today's show, Jeff tries to win over Planet Money's resident Scrooge, Kenny Malone, by going on a quest to find him the perfect gift. Along the way, they're visited by the spirits of three Nobel prize-winning economic theories that can explain why gift-giving is actually good. And by the end, Kenny's heart may just grow three sizes larger. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

In defense of gift giving

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Spam call bounty hunter
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Planet Money

Spam call bounty hunter

Telemarketing calls are not only annoying; in some cases, they are illegal. Congress even gives you the right to sue scofflaw telemarketers for $500 a call. Today, the story of one man who collected a surprising amount of money bringing telemarketers to justice.

Spam call bounty hunter

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Friday

How the cookie became a monster
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Housing Works

Planet Money

How the cookie became a monster

30 years ago, Lou Montulli set out to solve a fundamental problem with the internet, and accidentally created an entirely different one. On today's show, how the cookie went from an obscure piece of code designed to protect anonymity, to an online advertiser's dream, to a privacy advocate's nightmare.

How the cookie became a monster

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Friday

The high cost of a strong dollar
YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The high cost of a strong dollar

When it comes to international trade and finance, everyone pretty much speaks one language: the U.S. dollar. So when the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates and the dollar suddenly gets strong, it can cause huge headaches all over the world.

The high cost of a strong dollar

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Friday

You asked for coupons, Delaware, and the truth about goldfish
DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

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

On today's show, we're answering listener questions from the Planet Money inbox. Like, who really benefits from retail coupons? And why are goldfish so cheap?

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

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Wednesday

The Good, the Bad, and the Uggly

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: UGG boots on display at an event introducing Hailey Baldwin for UGG Classic Street on August 23, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for UGG) Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for UGG hide caption

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Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for UGG

Planet Money

The Good, the Bad, and the Uggly

Eddie Oygur is an Australian businessman who's sold sheepskin ugg boots for years. But one day, he was hit with a lawsuit for breaking American trademark law. On today's show — what's in the name ugg?

The Good, the Bad, and the Uggly

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Friday

Inflation Reduction Actually
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Planet Money

Inflation Reduction Actually

Congress just passed the biggest, most ambitious climate bill in history. And it's called ... the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. What's with that branding? And what can the bill teach us about actually fighting inflation? | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Inflation Reduction Actually

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Friday

A new way to pay for college (Update)
Andrew Hancock/Andrew Hancock/Purdue University

Planet Money

A new way to pay for college (Update)

College has gotten incredibly expensive. And some colleges are offering students a new way to pay. It's not a scholarship. It's not quite a loan. It's more like the students are selling stock in themselves. We check in on how income share agreements at one school have been working. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

A new way to pay for college (Update)

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Friday

A tale of two cityhoods
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Planet Money

A tale of two cityhoods

There's a movement underway in Georgia. More and more communities around Atlanta are choosing to keep their tax dollars very local, and become their own cities. It's a story about equity and exclusion – and also potholes. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

A tale of two cityhoods

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Friday

Recession referees
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Planet Money

Recession referees

Whenever the economic data start to look rough, we're forced to confront a familiar question: Are we in a recession, or about to be? But there are actually only eight opinions in the country that officially matter. Today on the show, we meet the committee that calls recessions. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Recession referees

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Friday

The day Russia adopted the free market
ANATOLY SAPRONENKOV/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The day Russia adopted the free market

In the early 90s, American economist Jeffrey Sachs was a part of a team that tried to transform Russia's economy. It did not go as planned. He tells us what he thinks went so wrong. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The day Russia adopted the free market

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Friday

The student loan paaaaauuuuuse
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The student loan paaaaauuuuuse

The pause on federal student loan payments was just extended for the sixth time in two years. So...what's that been like for the borrowers, and what's in store for them when the system eventually restarts? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. | Planet Money TikTok has been nominated for a Webby award! Cast your vote for us here.

The student loan paaaaauuuuuse

Listen · 20:31
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