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Planet Money Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world.

Wanna go deeper? Subscribe to Planet Money+ and get sponsor-free episodes of Planet Money, The Indicator, and Planet Money Summer School. Plus access to bonus content. It's a new way to support the show you love. Learn more at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Planet Money

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Planet Money

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Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world.

Wanna go deeper? Subscribe to Planet Money+ and get sponsor-free episodes of Planet Money, The Indicator, and Planet Money Summer School. Plus access to bonus content. It's a new way to support the show you love. Learn more at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Most Recent Episodes

Inside a bank run
Alex Goldmark

Inside a bank run

Sometimes you hear these stories about an airplane that suddenly nosedives. Everyone onboard thinks this is it, and then the plane levels out and everything is fine. For about 72 hours, people and companies that had deposited millions of dollars at the Silicon Valley Bank — many of whom were in the tech industry — thought they had lost absolutely everything to a bank collapse.

Inside a bank run

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Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit
Sasha Fominskaya/NPR

Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit

Since we started Planet Money Records and released the 47-year-old song "Inflation," the song has taken off. It recently hit 1 million streams on Spotify. And we now have a full line of merch — including a limited edition vinyl record; a colorful, neon hoodie; and 70s-inspired stickers — n.pr/shopplanetmoney.

Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit

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Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue
Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue

Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in America, the bank of choice for tech startups and big-name venture capitalists. Then, in the span of just a few days, it collapsed. Whispers that SVB might be in trouble spread like wildfire through group texts and Twitter posts. Depositors raced to empty their accounts, withdrawing $42 billion in a single day. Last Friday, after regulators declared that SVB had failed, the FDIC seized the bank.

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue

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Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

Casey Bloys, President of Programming of HBO, speaks onstage at HBO Max WarnerMedia Investor Day Presentation at Warner Bros. Studios on October 29, 2019 in Burbank, California. Presley Ann/Getty Images for WarnerMedia hide caption

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Presley Ann/Getty Images for WarnerMedia

Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

Over the past year, dozens of shows have been disappearing from streaming platforms like HBO Max and Showtime. Shows like Minx, Made for Love, FBoy Island, and even big budget hits like Westworld have been removed entirely.

Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

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The value of good teeth
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The value of good teeth

As a kid, Ryanne Jones' friend accidentally hit her in the mouth with a hammer, knocking out her two front teeth. Her parents never had enough money for the dental care needed to fix them, so Ryanne lived much of her adult life with a chipped and crooked smile.

The value of good teeth

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Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics
David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics

The 90s sit-com Seinfeld is often called "a show about nothing." Lauded for its observational humor, this quick-witted show focussed on four hapless New Yorkers navigating work, relationships...yada yada yada.

Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics

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CBOhhhh, that's what they do
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

CBOhhhh, that's what they do

If you are a congressperson or a senator and you have an idea for a new piece of legislation, at some point someone will have to tell you how much it costs. But, how do you put a price on something that doesn't exist yet?

CBOhhhh, that's what they do

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How the cats of Dixfield, Maine came into a fortune — and almost lost it

Hobo is one of the eleven cats who lives with Brenda Jarvis, the chief cat lady of Dixfield, Maine. Willa Rubin/NPR hide caption

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Willa Rubin/NPR

How the cats of Dixfield, Maine came into a fortune — and almost lost it

More than 20 years ago, something unusual happened in the small town of Dixfield, Maine. A lady named Barbara Thorpe had left almost all of her money—$200,000—to benefit the cats of her hometown. When Barbara died in 2002, those cats suddenly got very, very rich. And that is when all the trouble began.

How the cats of Dixfield, Maine came into a fortune — and almost lost it

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Hollywood's Black List (Classic)
Rachel Murray/Getty Images for MAKERS

Hollywood's Black List (Classic)

This episode originally ran in 2020.

Hollywood's Black List (Classic)

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The debt ceiling, extraordinary measures, and the X Date. Why it all matters.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Peter G. Peters

The debt ceiling, extraordinary measures, and the X Date. Why it all matters.

Every year, the U.S. government spends more money than it takes in. In order to fund all that spending, the country takes on debt. Congress has the power to limit how much debt the U.S. takes on. Right now, the debt limit is $31.4 trillion dollars. Once we reach that limit, Congress has a few options so that the government keeps paying its bills: Raise the debt limit, suspend it, or eliminate it entirely.

The debt ceiling, extraordinary measures, and the X Date. Why it all matters.

Listen · 26:38
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