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Under Internal Revenue Service rules, high-deductible insurance plans that can link to health savings accounts can only cover preventive services, such as vaccinations and mammograms, until patients pay down their deductible.

Tax Rule Limits Care For Chronic Ills Under High-Deductible Health Plans

2:06pm September 20, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

The IRS limits health plans linked to health savings accounts from covering most care until the deductible is paid off. Proposed legislation would expand what's allowed before that happens.

Venus Williams And Sallie Krawcheck Want Women To Invest

5:21pm September 18, 2016

Tennis star Venus Williams is a backer and Sallie Krawcheck heads a new investment company aimed at women. They talk about why they think a platform like this is needed.

Darren Holly steers coils of steel through Pentaflex, a manufacturer of parts for heavy trucks, in Springfield, Ohio.

A Nation Engaged: Is This Still A Land Of Economic Opportunity?

6:18am September 18, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

NPR's series, A Nation Engaged, takes a deeper look at economic opportunity in 21st century America. Is the middle class still shrinking, and what can political leaders do to help?

Economy

Some Employees Sue For Better Deals On 401(k) Options

6:35pm September 15, 2016

by Noel King

Some employees are suing their employers to get better deals on their 401(k) options. It seems like a wonky version of ambulance chasing. But when employees at an investment firm that creates funds got on the trend, it became a chance to understand what makes a raw deal on a 401(k) fee.

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A survey finds that more than half of people with insurance through work are in a high-deductible health plan.

Employees Are Paying A Bigger Chunk Of Health Insurance Costs

5:26pm September 14, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Bosses are passing more of the cost of health insurance on to workers in an effort to keep spending under control. But that can be unfair to lower-income employees, who pay disproportionately more.

Fred and Natasha Ruckel's cat, Yoda, sits on top of the Ripple Rug. The Ripple Rug was the subject of a classic middleman scheme involving eBay and Amazon.

Economy

Episode 724: Cat Scam

4:12pm September 14, 2016

The internet was supposed to get rid of middlemen--but instead they are taking over the global economy.

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A screenshot from a video touting a gap plan called "Premium Saver."

Would You Like Some Insurance With Your Insurance?

8:38pm September 13, 2016

by Bram Sable-Smith

What's old is new again — with the health care law requiring everyone to get some form of major medical insurance, insurance to pay for small-scale medical costs like deductibles is back.

The Census Bureau released new numbers on Tuesday showing that real median household incomes rose from $53,718 in 2014 to $56,516 last year.

Census Bureau: Poverty Rate Down, Median Incomes Up

3:28pm September 13, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Median household incomes have increased for the first time since 2007 — rising by 5.2 percent. The poverty rate has declined, and more people have health insurance, the Census Bureau says.

Wells Fargo Fined $185 Million Over Creation Of Fake Accounts For Bonuses

2:44pm September 08, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has levied its largest-ever fine on Wells Fargo for "the widespread illegal practice of secretly opening unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts."

Economy

Airbnb Unveils Changes To Address Racial Discrimination

2:36pm September 08, 2016

by Bill Chappell

One study found booking requests from Airbnb users with African-American sounding names were roughly 16 percent less likely to be accepted; another found discrepancies in hosts' profits.