This week, we're going deep into the multi-billion dollar influencer industry. Today, a researcher and two generations of influencers take us through the industry's history, from its origins in the blogosphere of the Great Recession to the sponsored content in your social media feeds today. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Priva...
Apr 24, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why does Brazil's President Lula go to bed every night thinking about the US dollar? Did Taylor Swift know crypto exchange FTX was trouble? That and more on this week's financial news roundup. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 21, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did Ed Sheeran steal from Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" in his hit single "Thinking Out Loud"? That case heads to trial next week, and our guest says the outcome should matter to music-lovers everywhere. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 20, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier this year, Bao Fan, a prominent Chinese banker and tech billionaire, went missing in China. According to a statement from his company, he's "cooperating in an investigation being carried out by certain authorities in the People's Republic of China." The details are very murky, but his disappearance raises questions about doing business in China right now. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn ...
Apr 19, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast A video game where you go on dates and also prepare your federal tax return? We obviously had to play. Plus the IRS's 20 year journey to make tax prep free. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 19, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Forced savings, you cowards!" Those aren't his exact words, but in 1940, macroeconomist John Maynard Keynes advocated for compulsory savings to help tame inflation during World War II. Could that work today? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 17, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this edition of Indicators of the Week, our hosts cover the latest news from the International Monetary Fund, Tupperware and the media conglomerate behind HBO Max — or is it just Max now? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 14, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Artificial intelligence has been portrayed as a solution to human bias. But, when it comes to finding top job talent, AI can get it just as wrong. So how can that be fixed? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 13, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier in the pandemic, we saw many businesses raise their prices because of the higher costs they faced. So we wondered, now that some of those costs are coming down, will companies also pass along that price relief to consumers? The answer reveals a lot about how corporations make pricing decisions. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
Apr 12, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast You've heard of the butterfly effect, right? A seemingly small action causes ripples in unexpected ways elsewhere. So, what would it mean if Japan's central bank raised interest rates on its 10-year government bonds, which have been near zero percent since 2016? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 11, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recent bank failures are putting a spotlight on risky behaviors in the financial sector. The Federal Reserve is introducing a new way for banks to borrow money that's better for banks, but exposes the government to more cost and risk. Today, we explain the Bank Term Funding Program. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Polic...
Apr 10, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dominion Voting Systems is seeking $1.6 billion in damages from Fox News, which if it wins, would be the biggest defamation verdict in U.S. history. So we wondered, how do you price a reputation? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 06, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the Internet, everything feels instantaneous. But how exactly did that data get to you? We'll take you on a virtual tour of the 19th-century technology that runs the modern world. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 05, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast There is one indicator that has predicted every recession since 1969, and that indicator is flashing red right now. It's the yield curve. But Mr. Yield Curve himself, Campbell Harvey, explains why this time he thinks his prediction could be wrong. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 04, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast U.S. government bonds have long been seen as a steady, reliable place for investors. So why has this safe 'merry-go-round' option turned into a rickety roller coaster ride? We step into the financial markets theme park to explain. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 03, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We cover some of this week's top economic stories: Cryptocurrency company Binance's legal issues, patching a hole in the banking system's rainy day fund, and newly approved waters for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 31, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast How one Ukrainian is circumventing the government exchange rate to turn U.S. dollars into medicine for Ukrainians near the front lines. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 30, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The doctor shortage is a growing problem across the U.S. But there was a time when the government, researchers, and medical professionals worried about a doctor surplus. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Mar 30, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lithium-ion batteries—used in everything from smart phones and laptops to electric scooters and cars—are catching fire on land and at sea. A former cargo ship captain walks us through why these fires are so hard to put out and why ocean-going car carriers are particularly at risk. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 28, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do you do the most good in the world? Money and data! That's according to this new wave of philanthropy known as effective altruism, heralded by the likes of Sam Bankman-Fried. Today on the show we uncover the art and science of effective altruism. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 27, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our indicators of the week: how a federal agency is trying to make it easier for you to cancel your subscriptions. And what's being done to address the 100,000-plus person backlog for organ transplants. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 24, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The high seas — water 200 nautical miles from shore — are an ocean of possibility for industries looking to cash in. But without proper oversight, the problems could be as deep as the ocean itself. Could an international agreement help? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 23, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're putting Fed Chair Jerome Powell in the hot seat. Without fear and without favor, our guests look at Powell's record on jobs, inflation and financial stability. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 23, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Recent banking turmoil is shining a spotlight on the people whose job it is to monitor banks themselves. Today, we examine the bank examiners and learn why their job is so important for the banking sector. Plus, a recent government report that shows they could be in short supply very soon. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privac...
Mar 21, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Credit Suisse was a 167-year-old financial giant. A favored place for the world's super-rich to stash their cash. So why did it collapse? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 21, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank continues to ripple across banking and tech. Today, three indicators on the fallout, including what's next for some startup CEOs and why you might be hearing the term, moral hazard. And we talk about the other bank failure that's been overshadowed by SVB, New York-based Signature Bank. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast...
Mar 17, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for another edition of the Beigie Awards! Today, our winner comes through with one of the best anecdotes in Beigie history with a story about a Montana construction company that flew in workers via a private jet. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 16, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why are American consumers paying out the wazoo for drugs? Drug companies say it's because they need that money to fund the research and development that goes into making new life-saving drugs. Today we talk to a health economist who says you actually can have it all, lower prices and more innovation. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
Mar 15, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prices are rising. A major bank has collapsed. And the Fed is left holding the hose trying to put out these fires. The question of whether to raise interest rates or not just got even more challenging. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 14, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast For decades, Silicon Valley Bank was the bank for thousands of startups and tech companies in the Bay Area. No longer. SVB's sudden failure last week has roiled the tech world. And it forced regulators to step in as concerns grew about the wider financial system. On today's episode, we look at what happened at SVB, and the three reasons that made the bank especially vulnerable to collapse. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts...
Mar 14, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast