Planet Money - podcast cover

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

Episodes

My Favorite Tax Loophole

There's a big difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. But sometimes even avoiding taxes (legally) can feel like you're getting away with something. Today, we share some of our — and your! — favorite loopholes in the U.S. tax code. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Dec 03, 202226 minEp. 1595

Messi economics

Soccer star Lionel Messi is currently hoping to lead Argentina to victory in the World Cup. His path to global fame was shaped by a crisis in Argentina's economy. This episode was made in collaboration with NPR and Futuro Studios's The Last Cup podcast. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Dec 01, 202228 minEp. 1594

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

This episode was first released as a bonus episode for Planet Money+ listeners last month. We're sharing it today for all listeners. To hear more episodes like this one and support NPR in the process, sign up for Planet Money + at plus.npr.org . Planet Money + supporters: we'll have a fresh bonus episode for you next week! "Save aggressively for retirement when you're young." "The stock market is a sure-fire long-term bet." "Fixed-rate mortgages are better than adjustable-rate mortgages." Popula...

Nov 23, 202233 minEp. 1593

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. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 19, 202227 minEp. 1592

Sam Bankman-Fried and the fall of a crypto empire

Sam Bankman-Fried built a reputation as the one reliable crypto bro. But within the span of days, his empire came crashing down. What the rise and fall of crypto's 30-year-old elder statesman says about the story of crypto so far. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 17, 202224 minEp. 1591

The E-Book Wars

In 2019, a group of librarians (quietly) stormed the offices of a major publisher, Macmillan, to protest a controversial policy on e-books. On this show, how a tiny change - a book on a screen - threw an industry into war with itself. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney a Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 11, 202226 minEp. 1590

Peak Sand (classic)

Sand. It's in buildings, windows, your cell phone. But there isn't enough in the world for everyone. And that's created a dangerous black market. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 09, 202218 minEp. 1589

Planet Money tries election polling

Polling is facing an existential crisis. Few people are answering the phone, and fewer people want to answer surveys. On today's show, we pick up the phones ourselves to find out how polling got to this place, and what the future of the poll looks like. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 04, 202228 minEp. 1588

Two Indicators shaking China's economy

Xi Jinping recently secured his third term as China's president – so we're looking at two shocks to the world's second-largest economy. First: How China's housing boom turned into a real estate crisis. Second: How the recent U.S. ban on selling advanced semiconductor chips to China could affect China's technology industry. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Nov 02, 202219 minEp. 1587

Planet Money Records Vol. 2: The Negotiation

We got our hands on the long-lost "Inflation" song, and now it's time to put it out into the world. So, we started a record label, and we're diving into the music business to try and make a hit. This is part two of the Planet Money Records series . Here's part one and part three . Update: We now have merch ! We released a line of Inflation song gear — including a limited edition vinyl record; a colorful, neon hoodie; and 70s-inspired stickers. You can find it here: n.pr/shopplanetmoney . Listen ...

Oct 29, 202227 minEp. 1586

Planet Money Records Vol. 1: Earnest Jackson

We try to start a real record label. Just to put one song out there. It's a song about inflation, recorded in 1975... and never released. Until now. This is part one of the Planet Money Records series . Here's part two and part three . Update: We now have merch ! We released a line of Inflation song gear — including a limited edition vinyl record; a colorful, neon hoodie; and 70s-inspired stickers. You can find it here: n.pr/shopplanetmoney . Listen to "Inflation" on Apple Music , Spotify , YouT...

Oct 27, 202225 minEp. 1585

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. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 22, 202228 minEp. 1584

The money fixers (classic)

How do you mend a broken bill? On this classic episode, we visit the Mutilated Currency Division. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 19, 202218 minEp. 1583

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? Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 15, 202223 minEp. 1582

Two Indicators: back to school

It's fall, so on this episode, we're taking you back to school. First, what sorority rush can teach us about a particular kind of market. Then, how two economists fixed the way macroeconomics was taught in high schools. It's econ, inside and outside the classroom. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 12, 202218 minEp. 1581

Forging Taiwan's Silicon Shield

Taiwan is at the center of a global feud. Its main defense may be what some call its "Silicon Shield" — its powerful semiconductor industry. On today's show, the story of how one economic hero helped to transform Taiwan's economy and create the "Taiwan Miracle." Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 07, 202231 minEp. 1580

Economic anarchy in the UK

Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the UK, was determined to change the British economy. Instead, her government's mini-budget helped kick off a mini-financial crisis. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Oct 05, 202222 minEp. 1579

Would you like a side of offshoring with that?

A lot of restaurants took a hit during the pandemic. And when they struggled to find workers, some found surprising solutions. On today's show, what happens when you offshore cashiers. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 30, 202223 minEp. 1578

The miracle apple (Classic)

Today on the show, how we got from mealy, nasty apples to apples that taste delicious. The story starts with a breeder who discovered a miracle apple. But discovering that apple wasn't enough. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Sep 28, 202214 minEp. 1577

Econ's Brush with the Law

What happens when you take some of the most powerful people in America — federal judges — and teach them economics? We look at the swanky econ retreats that may have changed American law forever. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 23, 202222 minEp. 1576

The Midnight Connection

Texas's energy grid is largely disconnected from the rest of the U.S. That led to disastrous consequences last year when the state's grid was overloaded during a winter storm. Back in the 1970s, one company attempted to change the system in a secret, middle-of-the-night operation. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 21, 202233 minEp. 1575

Vibecession Vibes Session

We're not in a recession, but why are the vibes feeling so off? We put the question to an economist and one expert on "vibes" and also hire a jazz band to take a pun way too far. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 17, 202227 minEp. 1574

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? Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 15, 202230 minEp. 1573

Two Indicators: unlikely economic relationships

On today's show - how your social circle is one of the strongest predictors of economic mobility and how pop music reflects the economy. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 09, 202219 minEp. 1572

The salvage car Silk Road

A practically brand new Lexus with a New Jersey inspection sticker lands on an auto body lot in Turkmenistan. How did it get there? To find out, we journey into the bizarro economy for misfit cars. And we follow a very different kind of journey – of the auto body repairman from Turkmenistan who brought us this story in the first place. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here . Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney Learn more about sponsor message choices: ...

Sep 08, 202228 minEp. 1571

Breaking down the price of gasoline

High gas prices have fueled speculation and investigations — is anyone raising prices and keeping prices high for profit? To find out, we break down the price of gas, piece by piece, to show you how we get to the price we see at the pump and how much everyone profits at each step of the way. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Sep 03, 202228 minEp. 1570

SUMMER SCHOOL 8: Productivity & Getting Lit

Productivity is our economic measure for how far our work goes, as individuals and as a society over all. It plays an important role in determining our quality of life, the prices of our goods and services, and, to some extent, the amount of free time we have. Today, we explore how thousands of years of productivity advancements transformed something now so standard that we take it for granted: light. | At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok ! |...

Aug 31, 202230 minEp. 1569

Wake up and smell the fraud

Sometimes online shopping can feel a little unsavory. There are the listings that make you question if you'll really be getting exactly what's advertised. And there's no worse feeling than paying for something and then not getting it. But when Nina Kollars ordered coffee pods and got WAY more than she asked for, it made her feel just as uneasy. Her quest for answers and what it teaches us about a new generation of online fraud. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/pl...

Aug 26, 202222 minEp. 1568

SUMMER SCHOOL 7: The Fed & Volcker's Socks

The Federal Reserve plays a very important role in the economy. When things start to look uncertain, the central bank is tasked with stepping in to restore people's confidence in the economy. But how do they do it? On today's episode we dive deep on monetary policy and the role of the fed. |At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok ! | Listen to past seasons of Summer School here . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

Aug 24, 202232 minEp. 1567

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 . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...

Aug 19, 202221 minEp. 1566
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