stock trading

There are some new funds that track stock trading by members of Congress and their family. So we thought, why don't we get in on that? Today on the show, we crack open the Planet Money Investment Jar to learn more about how our political leaders play the market, investing in funds tracking Democratic and Republican stock trades.

Whether Congressional stock trading should be limited is a hotly debated matter. So to test whether lawmakers are beating the market, Dartmouth College economist Bruce Sacerdote and his co-authors pitted lawmakers' stock picks against reindeer at a Christmas-styled theme park.

Trust us for this ride! It'll all make sense with some intriguing results.

Related listening:
Stock traders are trying to beat the market — by copying lawmakers
WTF is a Bitcoin ETF? (Apple / Spotify)
Planet Money's Toxic Asset
Planet Money Summer School: Investing

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says lawmakers and executive branch officials can have the upper hand when it comes to stock trading and access to undisclosed information.

With millions stuck at home, more and more people are trying day trading. Most will end up losing money, studies show, while troubling cases of addiction are also on the rise.