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
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Recent Episodes
From nuclear fission to GPS to the internet, it’s common knowledge that many of the most resource intensive technologies of the last century got their start as military R&D projects in government-fund...
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Planet Money explores how the U.S. military has profoundly shaped civilian fashion and outdoor gear, from the invention of the layering system in WWII to today's gear companies that double as military contractors. The episode traces a fascinating economic and cultural history from post-war army surplus stores to modern outdoor brands like Arc'teryx and Outdoor Research that openly serve both hikers and soldiers.
- The Military Origins of Modern Clothing
- WWII Innovation: How the Quartermaster Corps Invented Layering
How hurricanes became a hot investment
Dec 05, 2025A few years ago, the Jamaican government started making an unusual financial bet. It went to investors around the world asking if they'd like to wager on the chances a major hurricane would hit the is...
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Planet Money explores the world of catastrophe bonds - innovative financial instruments that allow countries and insurance companies to transfer disaster risk to investors. The episode follows Jamaica's experience with cat bonds through Hurricane Melissa, traces the history of how computer modeling revolutionized disaster insurance, and examines how this market has grown to nearly $60 billion as climate change intensifies natural disaster risks.
- Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica
- Karen Clark Revolutionizes Catastrophe Modeling
Is AI slopifying the job market? (Two Indicators)
Dec 03, 2025Vote for us in NPR’s People’s Choice Awards: npr.org/peopleschoice AI is already reshaping how people find work. Fewer entry-level jobs, robot recruiters, and ever-changing new skill requirements al...
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This Planet Money episode explores how AI is transforming the job market, particularly in hiring and recruitment. Through two detailed stories, the show examines whether AI represents a new Industrial Revolution, analyzing both the economic impacts on labor share and the surprising benefits of AI-powered job interviews. The episode features research from economists studying financial sector workers and a real-world experiment with an AI recruiter named Anna that interviewed 70,000 job candidates.
- AI's Impact on White-Collar Work: A New Industrial Revolution?
- The Labor Share Paradox: Smaller Slice, Bigger Pie
Taylor Swift reaches new heights with her latest album, which is both divisive and record-breaking. And it’s fueled by an elaborate series of business choices that propel profits but also chart number...
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This episode examines Taylor Swift's record-breaking album sales strategy, analyzing how she and other artists use multiple album variants to game the charts and maximize first-week numbers. The discussion explores the tension between Swift's commercial genius and growing criticism about exploiting fans, her vast wealth, and questions about artistic growth versus staying in her autobiographical comfort zone.
- Breaking Records with Strategic Variants
- The Variant Strategy Playbook
Saving lives with fewer dollars
Nov 27, 2025Givewell is a nonprofit organization that gives money to “save or improve the most lives per dollar.” Part of their whole thing is a rigorous research process with copious and specific datapoints. So,...
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Planet Money follows the intersection of two groups doing life-saving work after USAID cuts gutted international aid funding: medical workers providing healthcare in conflict-affected northern Cameroon, and philanthropic analysts at GiveWell using data-driven methods to determine where their limited funds can save the most lives. The episode chronicles GiveWell's months-long evaluation process to decide whether to fund ALIMA's Cameroon health program with $1.9 million, revealing the challenges of evidence-based philanthropy in humanitarian contexts.
- The Crisis: USAID Cuts Devastate Global Health Programs
- Enter GiveWell: The Data-Driven Philanthropists
The Consumer Sentiment vs. Consumer Spending Puzzle
Nov 21, 2025Wherever consumer sentiment goes, consumer spending usually goes too. They’re like buddies that do everything together. Consumer sentiment wants a hair cut, its buddy consumer spending does too.But la...
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This Planet Money episode explores a puzzling economic phenomenon: despite historically low consumer sentiment, consumer spending remains remarkably strong. Using Federal Reserve credit card data, economists discover that wealthy Americans—particularly the top 20%—are driving this resilience, spending dramatically more than ever before. This creates what some call a 'K-shaped economy' where the wealthy thrive while lower-income Americans struggle, making the economy vulnerable to any shock that affects high earners, particularly stock market volatility.
- The Consumer Sentiment Paradox
- Federal Reserve Credit Card Data Reveals the Truth
Days of our Tariffs
Nov 19, 2025Tariffs. They’ve been announced, unannounced, re-announced, raised and lowered. It’s an on-going saga with billions at stake! On today’s episode, we run full-on at the twisty, turny drama of life wi...
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Planet Money explores the real-world impact of Trump's tariffs through personal stories and economic data, revealing how these trade policies are affecting consumer prices across America. The episode combines a producer's unexpected encounter with tariff charges on a children's toy with comprehensive analysis from a Harvard economist tracking 350,000 products, demonstrating that tariffs are indeed making everyday goods more expensive for regular Americans.
- The Tariff Drama Unfolds
- James's $60 Toy Becomes a $111 Lesson
Last month, during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the United States had offered to functionally loan Argentina $20 billion. Despite th...
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Planet Money examines Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's controversial decision to offer Argentina a $20 billion credit line from the Exchange Stabilization Fund during a government shutdown. The episode explores the fund's 90-year history, compares this bailout to the 1995 Mexico crisis, and evaluates whether the U.S. will see its money again, given Argentina's nine defaults and President Javier Milei's economic experiment.
- The $20 Billion Surprise During a Shutdown
- Argentina's Troubled Economic History and Milei's Experiment
Buy now, pay dearly? (update)
Nov 12, 2025(Note: A version of this episode originally ran in 2022.) Every time you shop online and make it to the checkout screen, you see those colorful pastel buttons at the bottom. Affirm. Klarna. Afterpay. ...
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Planet Money investigates the explosive growth of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, following the story of college student Amelia Schmarzo who fell into a spending spiral during the pandemic. The episode examines how these companies make money despite offering interest-free loans, why retailers are willing to pay higher fees than credit cards charge, and the potential dangers of this unregulated form of credit—particularly for younger consumers who can easily overextend themselves across multiple platforms.
- Amelia's Buy Now, Pay Later Shopping Spiral
- The Business Model Behind Buy Now, Pay Later
A new experiment in remote work … from the inside
Nov 07, 2025When people in Maine prisons started getting laptops to use in their cells for online classes and homework, it sparked this new idea. Could they have laptops in their cells to work remotely for real o...
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Planet Money explores a groundbreaking prison work program in Maine where incarcerated individuals work remote jobs for market-rate wages, sometimes earning six figures. The episode examines how this experiment is reshaping prison economics, featuring stories of prisoners like Darlene George and Preston Thorpe who work full-time jobs from their cells, and explores the complex economics of prison labor, victim restitution, and rehabilitation.
- Darlene George: Working From Her Prison Cell
- Preston Thorpe: The Six-Figure Prison Software Engineer