The Indicator from Planet Money
A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.
Episodes
July 31, 2025 • 9 mins
The Fed is on the hook for an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars. Despite the recent headlines, that's not because of building renovations. It's a much larger cost blowout caused by big actions taken during the pandemic to help the economy: quantitative easing.
Today on the show, we talk to both a critic of these actions and someone who helped put those those actions in play.
Learn more about sponsor messa...
Today on the show, we talk to both a critic of these actions and someone who helped put those those actions in play.
Learn more about sponsor messa...
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July 30, 2025 • 9 mins
Private equity is a risky business. There are high-highs and low-lows. A retirement plan, on the other hand, is meant to be a reliable beast. But President Trump believes your 401(k) can handle it! On today's show, the president's expected executive order could help offer some legal cover for fund managers who include private equity in your retirement portfolio. What are the risks and benefits?
Related episodes:
The Pru...
Related episodes:
The Pru...
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July 29, 2025 • 9 mins
BRICS is an economic alliance of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several other nations. They met earlier this month to discuss everything from international law to global health. President Trump, however, is not a fan of BRICS and threatened members with increased tariffs.
So why has this alliance generated so much animosity from the President? Today on the show, we talk to the econo...
So why has this alliance generated so much animosity from the President? Today on the show, we talk to the econo...
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July 28, 2025 • 9 mins
Baby bond fever is catching on. In recent years, states like Connecticut have been experimenting with giving newborns government-seeded accounts that grow tax-free until they are 18. Now, President Trump's signature tax and spending bill will give a thousand dollars to every U.S.-born baby through 2028. On today's show, what are baby bonds and could they help tackle wealth inequality?
Related:
Baby bonds, proportional...
Related:
Baby bonds, proportional...
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July 25, 2025 • 9 mins
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today's episode: Nigeria gets a GDP surprise, Magic the Gathering mutes tariff impact for Hasbro, and Bitcoin reaches record highs following the passage of the GENIUS Act.
Related episodes:
How stable is Stablecoin? (Apple / Spotify)
Episode 609: The Curse Of The Black Lotus
For sp...
On today's episode: Nigeria gets a GDP surprise, Magic the Gathering mutes tariff impact for Hasbro, and Bitcoin reaches record highs following the passage of the GENIUS Act.
Related episodes:
How stable is Stablecoin? (Apple / Spotify)
Episode 609: The Curse Of The Black Lotus
For sp...
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July 24, 2025 • 9 mins
It's the Beigie Awards, our eight times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy. The most recent Beige Book shows that Americans are finding ways to spend less money ... including on their vacations. On today's show, we find out what Benjamin Franklin and Jersey Beach goers have in common.
Related episodes:
How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?
Trump's cuts c...
Related episodes:
How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?
Trump's cuts c...
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July 23, 2025 • 9 mins
The quintessential American economic myth is that the free market picks winners and losers. But the federal government has long had a role in this equation, from the current administration all the way back to the Great Depression. Today on the show, we uncover the history of the country's national investment bank, which shaped the relationship between the government and the market in ways that are still felt today.
Check o...
Check o...
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July 22, 2025 • 8 mins
Despite presidential saber rattling and huge tariff threats, the U.S. stock market keeps reaching record highs. Why?
Today we sit down with the man who coined the acronym TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) and chew through several hypotheses. (Over tacos, of course.)
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Today we sit down with the man who coined the acronym TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) and chew through several hypotheses. (Over tacos, of course.)
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
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July 21, 2025 • 8 mins
Once upon a time, the states had a thriving tinned fish market. Like a lot of U.S. manufacturing though, that's been lost. But sardines are having a moment right now and that may help a growing effort to resurrect this lost industry.
Related episodes:
Why do shrimpers like tariffs (Apple / Spotify)
When a staple becomes a luxury (Apple / Spotify)
We're gonna need a bigger boat-building industry (Apple / Spotify)...
Related episodes:
Why do shrimpers like tariffs (Apple / Spotify)
When a staple becomes a luxury (Apple / Spotify)
We're gonna need a bigger boat-building industry (Apple / Spotify)...
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July 20, 2025 • 14 mins
To cap off our weeklong series on all things Hollywood, we're going to have a little fun! Tune in to hear Adrian, Darian and Wailin battle it out as they try to name movies based on cryptic descriptions of the businesses featured in them. You can play along!
Related episodes:
When is cosplay a crime?
The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA?
Before La La Land th...
Related episodes:
When is cosplay a crime?
The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA?
Before La La Land th...
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July 18, 2025 • 2 mins
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Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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July 18, 2025 • 9 mins
The movies come to Indicators of the Week. We dig into why one film is letting you reserve tickets a whole year in advance, what ticket prices might tell us about tariffs and inflation, and how Los Angeles might be cutting back on the red tape when it comes to making movies there.
Related episodes:
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? (Apple / Spotify)
The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance (Apple ...
Related episodes:
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? (Apple / Spotify)
The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance (Apple ...
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July 17, 2025 • 9 mins
Cosplay—or dressing up as your favorite character from pop culture—is fun! But it can fall into a legal gray area when it comes to companies' intellectual property.
Today on the show: a group of cosplayers, Lucasfilm(!), a lawyer, and finding economic symbiosis in order to express yourself.
Related episodes:
Before La La Land there was Fort Lee, New Jersey (Apple / Spotify)
Why aren't filmmakers shooting i...
Today on the show: a group of cosplayers, Lucasfilm(!), a lawyer, and finding economic symbiosis in order to express yourself.
Related episodes:
Before La La Land there was Fort Lee, New Jersey (Apple / Spotify)
Why aren't filmmakers shooting i...
Mark as Played
July 16, 2025 • 9 mins
No country can come close to the amount of money Americans spend at the box office each year ... that is, until China came along. The US and Chinese film industries have a long intertwined history, with shifting power dynamics.
Today on the show, we continue our week-long look at the movie business as we explore the on-and-off romance between Hollywood and China's film industries.
Related episodes:
Why aren't...
Today on the show, we continue our week-long look at the movie business as we explore the on-and-off romance between Hollywood and China's film industries.
Related episodes:
Why aren't...
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July 15, 2025 • 9 mins
Despite being, ya know, Hollywood, more and more movies and TV shows are shooting outside of Tinseltown.
Dozens of U.S. states and many countries offer subsidies for film production. This has drawn filmmakers away from L.A. and led to historically low levels of shooting activity in recent years in the city.
After the COVID shutdowns, labor strikes, and January's devastating wildfires ... what can bring back LA's...
Dozens of U.S. states and many countries offer subsidies for film production. This has drawn filmmakers away from L.A. and led to historically low levels of shooting activity in recent years in the city.
After the COVID shutdowns, labor strikes, and January's devastating wildfires ... what can bring back LA's...
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July 14, 2025 • 9 mins
Hollywood, baby! The glitz! The glamour! The ever-changing business models! This week, The Indicator is going to the movies. Starting today with the history of Hollywood and where it began ... New Jersey!
Related episode:
The Origin Of The Oscars
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Fact-checking by Sierra Jua...
Related episode:
The Origin Of The Oscars
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Fact-checking by Sierra Jua...
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July 11, 2025 • 9 mins
We are back with Indicators of the Week! Today, we'll be digging into why U.S. professional gamblers are worried about their future, why businesses might start investing more in research and development, and why cancelling your subscriptions is going to remain difficult.
Related episodes:
How sports gambling blew up (Apple / Spotify)
The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)
The 'Pla...
Related episodes:
How sports gambling blew up (Apple / Spotify)
The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)
The 'Pla...
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July 10, 2025 • 9 mins
Many small businesses are online now, but so are cyber criminals trying to take advantage. On today's show, how one bar owner fell victim to a Facebook scam and if big tech could do more to protect small business owners from increasing cyber attacks. Read Stephan's original piece.
Related:
The secret world of those scammy text messages
After being scammed, one woman tries to get her money back
For spon...
Related:
The secret world of those scammy text messages
After being scammed, one woman tries to get her money back
For spon...
Mark as Played
July 9, 2025 • 9 mins
We are just at the start of hurricane season, and we're already seeing the danger and tragedy brought on by storms. There's another cost that gets much less attention, but it's a gamble everyone in the path of a storm has to make.
Today on the show, we examine the decision on whether or not to evacuate from an oncoming disaster.
Based on the digital story: 1 reason people don't evacuate for hurricanes? Rising cos...
Today on the show, we examine the decision on whether or not to evacuate from an oncoming disaster.
Based on the digital story: 1 reason people don't evacuate for hurricanes? Rising cos...
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July 8, 2025 • 8 mins
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is now law. It's expected to cost the government a pretty penny. The Congressional Budget Office predicts a $3.4 trillion increase in the deficit over ten years. This is driven by significant tax cuts, including extensions of those made in 2017.
Trump's advisors argue the tax cuts will pay for themselves. Today on the show, we speak with the guru on that school of thought, Arthur Laffer, and...
Trump's advisors argue the tax cuts will pay for themselves. Today on the show, we speak with the guru on that school of thought, Arthur Laffer, and...
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