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Your Money

Making The Move To Community Banks

January 31, 2010 • 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.

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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Scott Graf for NPR

Education

Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills

January 30, 2010 • 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.

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

January 29, 2010 • 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.

Planet Money

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

January 29, 2010 • 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.

The Cost Of Housing Inmates Who Can't Make Bail

January 26, 2010 • 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.

Homeowner Wants To Walk, Despite New Loan Terms

January 26, 2010 • 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.

Obama Faces Political Minefield Over Deficit

Economy

Obama Faces Political Minefield Over Deficit

January 25, 2010 • 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.

Business

HUD Makes Good Faith Estimates Believable

WFAE

January 23, 2010 • 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.

Economy

Hard Times Lead To Dramatic Rise In Bankruptcies

January 21, 2010 • 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.

Haiti Quake: Ruin And Recovery

Are Haiti Donations Going To The Right Place?

January 20, 2010 • 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.

Haiti Quake: Ruin And Recovery

What To Think About Before Giving Money To Haiti

January 19, 2010 • Amid a massive fundraising campaign for Haiti earthquake relief, it can be difficult to choose whom to support among the dozens of private aid groups working in the shattered Caribbean nation. Perhaps the most important thing to look for is a group with a long history of operating in Haiti.

Health Care

Confronting The Affordability Gap In Health Care Bills

January 19, 2010 • 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.

National

Modern Marriages: The Rise Of The Sugar Mama

January 19, 2010 • 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.

Walking Away From Your Mortgage

January 14, 2010 • 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.

Singletary's 'Power To Prosper' Budget Plan

January 13, 2010 • 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.

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