Business Story of the Day

Experts say that sitting down and creating a plan of action makes us 10 times more likely to achieve our goals — especially if we tell friends about our plan to create some gentle social pressure to follow through. Here's a worksheet to help with that.

Is Wall Street Eating Your 401(k) Nest Egg?

3:14pm October 19, 2015

by Chris Arnold

High fees are eroding the retirement savings of millions of Americans, but employers who shop around can find better options for their 401(k) plans. A small Minnesota firm offers a dramatic example.

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Economy

Social Security Recipients Will Receive No Cost Of Living Increase In 2016

4:45pm October 18, 2015

Steve Inskeep discusses why no cost of living adjustment for Social Security recipients with David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution.

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Arts
Economy

Alexander Hamilton's Financial Legacy Is A Hit Musical

7:33pm October 15, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Hamilton, the hottest ticket on Broadway, is a musical about the decidedly un-hot topic of his crucial role in U.S. economics. What can we learn about debt and the dollar through rhymes and R&B?

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When Businesses Opt Out Of Workers' Comp, Employees May Struggle For Care

2:44pm October 15, 2015

by Howard Berkes

As states consider allowing employers to completely opt out of workers' compensation plans, NPR and ProPublica take a look at how the concept has worked in Texas.

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Colored Pencils, Watercolors, Brushes: Art Supplies Add Up

8:22am October 14, 2015

by Mary Plummer

Teachers spend a lot of their own cash on school supplies. But art teachers, with all kinds of special materials, can spend even more.

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Economy

Why Are Millennials Buying So Many Houses In Des Moines?

7:13pm October 13, 2015

by Sarah Boden

Data from Realtor.com shows that in the first half of 2015, roughly 60 percent of borrowers who used a mortgage to buy a home in Des Moines were between the ages of 25 and 34.

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The pumpkin patch at Waldoch Farm in Lino Lakes, Minn.

A Spooky Tale In Time For Halloween: Weather Cuts Into Pumpkin Crop

1:51pm October 12, 2015

by Kaomi Goetz

Heavy rains have damaged much of the crop in the Midwest. Canned pumpkin giant Libby's says there should be enough to fill your pies for Thanksgiving, but after that, things will be tight.

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Volkswagen board members Wolfgang Porsche (from left), Berthold Huber and Stephan Weil attend a news conference to announce Martin Winterkorn's decision to resign as Volkswagen CEO on Sept. 23, in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Economy

What VW Needs To Do To Survive Its Biggest Scandal

6:06pm October 09, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

After revelations it cheated emissions tests, Volkswagen is vowing to win back the public's trust. But, experts say, it will take a long time. First, the automaker needs to let the crisis play out.

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Economy

'Philadelphia City Paper' Prints Its Final Edition

7:57am October 09, 2015

Philadelphia's award-winning City Paper is the latest casualty among alternative weekly publications, which have struggled in recent years. Steve Inskeep talks to former staff writer Daniel Denvir.

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Economy

How Skyscraper Construction Ties Into Tech Bubbles

8:15am October 08, 2015

by Steve Henn

There's a lot of talk in Silicon Valley about a tech bubble.Our Planet Money podcast team examines one possible indicator of a bubble: architecture. Very, very tall architecture.

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