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Your Money

Making The Move To Community Banks

Fed up with your "too-big-to-fail" bank? Well, you can always downsize. That's the message of the "Move Your Money" campaign, which urges big-bank customers to switch to community banks. But what's it like to actually make the switch, and could this movement ever register as more than a blip on a big bank's radar? Host Guy Raz talks to one man who made the switch — Michael Parisi of Santa Cruz, Calif. And he gets two very different opinions on the idea from economist Simon Johnson and bank analyst Bert Ely.

Making The Move To Community Banks

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Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills

Business teacher Glenda Head (right) and student Kiana Anorve count money before opening their credit union for business at R.B. Glenn High School in Kernersville, N.C. Their cafeteria credit union is a branch of North Carolina's Allegacy Federal Credit Union. Scott Graf for NPR hide caption

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Education

Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills

The recession has revealed how clueless many Americans are when it comes to personal finance. Some credit unions and educators hope establishing in-school branches will help students develop saving habits and general fiscal responsibility.

Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills

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Can Bosses Do That? As It Turns Out, Yes They Can

Could you be fired for having a political bumper sticker on your car — or even having a beer after work? Lewis Maltby says it's more than possible — it's happened. His new book, Can They Do That? details the predicaments many workers find themselves in.

Can Bosses Do That? As It Turns Out, Yes They Can

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Planet Money

Debt Collector: Tough Job But Someone's Got To Do It

As more people struggle to pay their credit card bills, one segment of the economy is booming: debt collection. It's not an easy task. Most people John Goebel calls are angry, some are apathetic, and a few break down in tears.

Debt Collector: Tough Job But Someone's Got To Do It

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The Cost Of Housing Inmates Who Can't Make Bail

Thousands of inmates are sitting in America's jails because they can't make bail, which sometimes is set at as little as $50. Housing them while they await trial is estimated to cost taxpayers $9 billion this year alone. NPR's Crime and Punishment Correspondent, Laura Sullivan, joins Talk of the Nation to discuss the business of bail bonds.

The Cost Of Housing Inmates Who Can't Make Bail

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Homeowner Wants To Walk, Despite New Loan Terms

Thad Salter's home is now worth less than half of its 2006 purchase price of $300,000. Even after his bank modified his mortgage, Salter wondered whether it would be better to walk away from the loan. At least one law professor says he should do just that.

Homeowner Wants To Walk, Despite New Loan Terms

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Obama Faces Political Minefield Over Deficit

Economy

Obama Faces Political Minefield Over Deficit

President Obama is likely to outline a plan in his State of the Union address for fiscal responsibility. But don't look for immediate action to cut the deficit. Recent polls show that voters who are concerned about the deficit are also alarmed about unemployment.

Obama Faces Political Minefield Over Deficit

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Business

HUD Makes Good Faith Estimates Believable

WFAE

The document used to be a tool lenders would give to borrowers early in the homebuying process so they'd know how much house they could afford. But as of this month, it's now a legally binding agreement.

HUD Makes Good Faith Estimates Believable

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Economy

Hard Times Lead To Dramatic Rise In Bankruptcies

Personal bankruptcies rose more than 30 percent in 2009, with more than 1.4 million protection filings. Even though so many people are in dire financial straits, having to declare bankruptcy comes as an embarrassing shock.

Hard Times Lead To Dramatic Rise In Bankruptcies

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Haiti Quake: Ruin And Recovery

Are Haiti Donations Going To The Right Place?

Americans have given more than $275 million so far to nonprofits providing relief in Haiti, according to data compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. But charitable-giving experts say people need to keep an eye on where their money goes.

Are Haiti Donations Going To The Right Place?

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Health Care

Confronting The Affordability Gap In Health Care Bills

It doesn't seem likely that House Democrats will get the government-sponsored health insurance plan they want as part of a final health overhaul bill. What they're arguing for instead is more help for middle-income families to pay for health insurance they'll now be required to purchase. The Senate bill, however, is not as generous.

Confronting The Affordability Gap In Health Care Bills

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National

Modern Marriages: The Rise Of The Sugar Mama

The joke used to be that some women went to college to get their M.R.S. — that is, a husband. But a study by the Pew Research Center finds that women today are more likely to marry men who have lower education levels and lower income levels than they do.

Modern Marriages: The Rise Of The Sugar Mama

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Walking Away From Your Mortgage

More than 10 million households have 'underwater mortgages,' wherein the property is worth less than the mortgage. These homeowners cannot take advantage of lower rates or refinancing deals, and their homes are likely to go into foreclosure.

Walking Away From Your Mortgage

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Singletary's 'Power To Prosper' Budget Plan

Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary invites you to start 2010 right by curbing the need to consume. She lays out a 21-day financial fast to curb debt and stress in her book, The Power to Prosper.

Singletary's 'Power To Prosper' Budget Plan

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