Accessibility links
Your Money NPR coverage of personal finance, money, investing, taxes, retirement, mortgages and housing markets, wealth management, and stock market news. Download NPR podcasts and RSS feeds.

Your Money

Friday

Nixed Flood Insurance Subsidy Drowns Coastal Home Values

In Florida, Louisiana, New York and other coastal states, many homeowners are in shock at new flood insurance rates that are rapidly approaching. After Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy left the National Flood Insurance Program $24 billion in the red, Congress revamped the program--phasing out subsidies. One group especially upset are new homeowners--people who bought a property and are now seeing their flood insurance costs skyrocket, making the property no longer affordable.

Nixed Flood Insurance Subsidy Drowns Coastal Home Values

Listen · 4:08
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/226902317/226902319" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

What Happens When Stores Let Customers Return Whatever They Want?

I'd like to return one boot? Bugsy Sailor/Flickr hide caption

toggle caption
Bugsy Sailor/Flickr

Planet Money

What Happens When Stores Let Customers Return Whatever They Want?

L.L. Bean has taken back a live Christmas wreath that had turned brown and a shirt ripped by a rescue crew after a car accident. Is that any way to run a business?

What Happens When Stores Let Customers Return Whatever They Want?

Listen · 4:33
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/223787129/226011244" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Fake Reviewers Get Zero Stars From New York Attorney General

Some reputation management companies required that its writers have a certain number of Yelp friends. Yelp says it welcomed the New York attorney general's crackdown on fake reviewers. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

All Tech Considered

Fake Reviewers Get Zero Stars From New York Attorney General

Nineteen companies agreed to pay more than $350,000 in penalties to settle accusations that they wrote or bought phony online reviews of their products, services or restaurants.

Fake Reviewers Get Zero Stars From New York Attorney General

Listen · 3:11
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/225455596/225483676" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

The Fed's Surprising Decision: Should You Cheer Or Boo?

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke arrives to speak at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The Fed cut its economic growth forecasts and said it would keep buying bonds in a bid to keep interest rates down. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Economy

The Fed's Surprising Decision: Should You Cheer Or Boo?

The central bank's unexpected move to keep rates low for now was good news for stock investors and homebuyers, but oil prices surged and savers will have longer to wait before they see higher rates. The Federal Reserve concluded that the economy is still too weak and needs its continued help.

House Bill Would Cut 3.8 Million People From Food Stamp Rolls

Advocates for the poor say the proposed cuts to the food stamp program — $40 billion over 10 years — don't make sense at a time when unemployment remains high. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

The Salt

House Bill Would Cut 3.8 Million People From Food Stamp Rolls

The measure would cut $40 billion from the federal SNAP program over 10 years. Republicans who back the cuts say they attack fraud. In reality, the vast majority of SNAP recipients either work or are children, disabled or elderly. The House is poised to take up the bill Thursday.

House Bill Would Cut 3.8 Million People From Food Stamp Rolls

Listen · 4:36
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/223627228/223627211" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Your Kids And Money: Teaching The Value Of A Dollar

What's the point of an allowance? iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

Your Kids And Money: Teaching The Value Of A Dollar

What's the point of an allowance? For Ron Lieber, personal finance writer for The New York Times, it's a tool to help teach things like patience, moderation, thrift and generosity. Some parents make kids earn money by doing chores, while others give an unconditional allowance. What's your approach?

Your Kids And Money: Teaching The Value Of A Dollar

Listen · 4:24
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/219290908/223627213" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Laid Off And Looking For Health Insurance? Beware Of COBRA

After losing a job, figuring out health insurance may be the smartest first step. Franck Camhi/iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
Franck Camhi/iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Laid Off And Looking For Health Insurance? Beware Of COBRA

KFF Health News

Many laid-off workers continue the insurance they got on the job by paying for it themselves through an expensive option known as COBRA. The health insurance exchanges that open in October are likely to be a cheaper source for health coverage.

Friday

Wednesday

Why Women (Like Me) Choose Lower-Paying Jobs

Share of women in most lucrative majors Quoctrung Bui/NPR/Anthony Carnevale hide caption

toggle caption
Quoctrung Bui/NPR/Anthony Carnevale

Planet Money

Why Women (Like Me) Choose Lower-Paying Jobs

I majored in applied math, I have an MBA, and I'm working as a reporter at NPR. An economist just told me I'm leaving millions of dollars on the table.

Why Women (Like Me) Choose Lower-Paying Jobs

Listen · 4:31
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/220748057/221277834" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Monday

The Most (And Least) Lucrative College Majors, In 1 Graph
Matt Stiles/NPR

Planet Money

The Most (And Least) Lucrative College Majors, In 1 Graph

In terms of income, what you major in matters more than where you go to school. Here are the 10 majors where graduates have the highest incomes — and the majors where incomes are lowest.

The Most (And Least) Lucrative College Majors, In 1 Graph

Listen · 5:15
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/219372252/220769245" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Rates Come Down On Jumbo Mortgage Loans
iStockphoto.com

Business

Rates Come Down On Jumbo Mortgage Loans

The interest rate on jumbo mortgages — those that exceed a government-set cap of $417,000 — has fallen below the rate for traditional loans. Mortgage industry observers say it's the first time this has happened.

Rates Come Down On Jumbo Mortgage Loans

Listen · 1:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/219537721/219560305" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday