Your Money

A woman recovering from fever linked to COVID-19 checks medications in her home in Mineola, N.Y., this spring.

Nearly Two-Thirds Of U.S. Households Struck By COVID-19 Face Financial Trouble

7:30am September 28, 2020

by Blake Farmer

Plus, of all U.S. homes that include someone with a disability, 63% report serious financial hardship during the pandemic, and 37% have used up all or most of their savings.

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People wait for a bus in August in East Los Angeles. Latinos have the highest rate of labor force participation of any group in California — many in public-facing jobs deemed essential. That work has put them at higher risk of catching the coronavirus.

Latinos Report Financial Strain As Pandemic Erodes Income And Savings

6:11pm September 16, 2020

by Jackie Fortier

An NPR poll finds 72% of Latino households in the United States are facing serious financial problems — double the share of whites who report this. Major health problems are mounting, too.

Two million Americans have started freelancing in the past 12 months, according to a new study from Upwork, a freelance job platform. And that has increased the proportion of the workforce that performs freelance work to 36%.

Economy

Jobs In The Pandemic: More Are Freelance And May Stay That Way Forever

1:23pm September 16, 2020

by Uri Berliner

Before the coronavirus hit, many workers chose freelance or contract jobs because they preferred the flexibility and variety it offered. But now millions are turning to freelancing out of necessity.

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Should We Kill The $100 Bill?

10:19am September 15, 2020

by Jacob Goldstein

It feels like cash has disappeared. But there's more paper money out there than ever. That might be a problem.

There are divides when it comes to who is doing well financially and who is struggling during this pandemic, a new poll finds.

Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds

1:03pm September 10, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

There are dividing lines when it comes to how families are weathering the pandemic: Those living in big cities, those making less than $100,000 a year, and Latino and Black families are faring worst.

How People Are Scraping By After Expiration Of Federal Unemployment Aid

4:04pm September 04, 2020

NPR checks back with three people who lost their jobs during the pandemic to see how they are managing after federal unemployment assistance lapsed this summer.

Many Employers Say Temporary Tax Break Is Not Worth The Trouble

11:24am September 01, 2020

by Scott Horsley

The Trump administration is planning to suspend the collection of payroll taxes starting Tuesday. But unless Congress forgives the taxes, workers will end up with smaller paychecks early next year.

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Caroline Wells and her family at their new home outside San Antonio. The builders just finished it so the yard has yet to be planted, but the couple are looking forward to letting the kids run out their energy with a lot more outdoor space than they had a

More Space, Please: Home Sales Booming Despite Pandemic, Recession

3:55pm August 28, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Despite high unemployment, a severe recession and economic uncertainty, the housing market is on a tear. Sales are booming, and prices hit a record high. Low rates and remote work are driving factors.

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Economy

Think You Know Economics? Take The Planet Money Summer School Quiz

3:50pm August 26, 2020

by NPR Staff

Can you think like an economist? It's time to find out! Eight questions stand between you and a diploma-like certificate of economic achievement.

The expanded federal unemployment benefits are gone with no extension from Congress in sight. Eviction moratoriums are expiring even as large numbers of people continue to lose jobs. And so this sudden, deep recession is forcing many people to upend their

'Will I Have A Place To Live?' Scrambling To Survive After $600 Benefits End

11:55am August 25, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Millions of people who have lost all or some of their income are having to make hard choices — from moving across the country for cheaper rent to raiding retirement savings.

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