Link: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/stock-market-has-been-and-always-will-be-volatile
Summary: Many people are worried about the stock markets, especially with everything going on in the world (Germany’s bad news, Ebola, etc). However, the stock market is a volatile place–and, according to Quincy Crosby, a financial market strategist at Prudential Financial, it’s meant to be that way.
Original Air Date: October 10, 2014
Length: 2 minutes 11 seconds
Summary: What is the role of money in politics? What is campaign finance and what is the Super PAC? How is it that the 1% fraction of the US population have the ability to spend as much as they want in order to influence political power? Planet Money interviews Lawrence Lessing of Harvard University on his idea to create a super PAC in order to fight Super PACs.
Original Air Date: August 1, 2014
Length: 16 min
Summary: Planet Money presents three stories regarding the financial market; the stock market’s sluggish performance, a negative interest rates in the banking sector, and pawn shops exchanges for the rich.
Original Air Date: June 13, 2014
Length: 13 min
Links: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/05/30/317030992/episode-543-a-world-without-banks
Summary: What would the world look like without its financial institutions? Without its banks? Thats the very thought that has been circulating since the Great Recession. The Planet Money team considers a world without banks.
Original Air Date: May 30, 2014
Length: 14 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/05/16/312732409/episode-539-whats-a-penny-worth
Summary: Planet Money explains the history of the penny through three perspectives: its worth, its potential in the internet age, and who is betting on the government killing it.
Original Air Date: May 16, 2014
Length: 19 min
Summary: Freakonomics explains the new digital currency Bitcoin and its potential capabilities as well as its shortcomings. Economists and internet pioneers such as Marc Andreeseen and Susan Athey provide their opinions on this emerging currency.
Original Air Date: March 27, 2014
Length: 36 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/01/22/265014932/episode-511-rule-breakers
Summary: Planet Money presents three stories that revolve around the theme of ‘Rule Breaking.’ This three episode mash-up considers how people in Indonesia navigate horrendous traffic, how the U.S. illegally subsidizes cotton farmers and how banks decide to accumulate huge risks.
Original Air Date: January 22, 2014
Length: 16 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/10/04/229224964/episode-489-the-invisible-plumbing-of-our-economy
Summary: In a time of instantaneous internet, why does it take so long for money to process from one checking account to another? Planet Money Podcast attempts to figure out the invisible pipes that move money around America.
Original Air Date: October 4, 2013
Length: 22 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/09/21/140643696/operation-twist-explained-in-4-easy-steps
Summary: How does the Fed lower interest rates? This podcast gives a quick, four step process on how the Fed can lower interest rates in order to combat unemployment.
Original Air Date: September 21, 2011
Length: 4 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/09/16/140464797/a-slow-motion-bank-run-in-europe
Summary: What are the potential risks and negative spillovers of “big banks” failing? This podcast outlines why big banks, for example big French banks cannot default because of the havoc that would befall in an economy.
Original Air Date: September 14, 2011
Length: 3 min
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