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. Sign up for our newsletter. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes for Planet Money and sponsor-free listening for The Indicator.
The case for sharing your salary
Should money and class figure more prominently in how we identify ourselves? Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist Mona Chalabi thinks yes. Today on the show, a conversation with Mona, author of the forthcoming book Ten Lives: How What We Have Shapes Who We Are.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Chasing the American Dream at Outback Steakhouse
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The gamble of trying to inflate away debt
The United States national debt is running at more than $40 trillion dollars. It’s a potential crisis in the making, but President Donald Trump suggested it can all be solved just by inflating the debt away. Today, we dig into the nitty gritty on how and when inflating the national debt could work.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Is the federal debt REALLY that bad?
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Why Oracle's debt load could be your problem
Oracle, the multinational tech giant has taken on a lot of loans to build up its AI capacity. But Oracle’s investors are not happy with this piling debt load. We explain why Oracle is such a pivotal player — and potentially weak link — in the AI-fueled economy.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–How the bond market is handling AI risk?
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Will AI take my job? Ask an economist!
Is AI coming for our jobs? Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei believes AI could wipe out many white-collar jobs in the next few years. While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argues AI will reshape existing roles and create even more jobs than we have now. So which future are we really facing: a job-pocalypse or a jobs transformation?
For answers, join The Indicator's Adrian Ma for "Ask An Economist.” This is a virtual event and live Q&A featuring two economists who've studied this issue: Daron Acemoglu, a Nobel Prize-winning professor at MIT, and Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at Stanford an...
Supercore inflation, Bumble valuation and Pooh's repatriation
This week’s indicators: Why is inflation so super (derogatory)? How did Bumble go from dating app doldrums to a stock market sweetheart?; And oh, bother! Could Winnie the Pooh be moving home to England from New York City?
Fact checking by Leyla Doss.
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–Retiree benefits bump, credit repayment slump, and a dating app in the dumps
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How did political campaigns get so expensive?
The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching, and it’s gearing up to be the most expensive election in American history. So how did we get here, where every election feels more expensive than the last?
Today on the show, we’re exploring what’s causing the flood of money into our politics.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Bad economics, smart politics
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A rebate runaround, a car rental rip-off and … roaches?!
A labyrinthine rebate process. Shrinking cereal boxes. Mystery rental car charges. Cockroaches?! We share listener tales of Consumer Rage and unpack the economic forces driving that ANGER.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Consumers are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore–Over 2,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App
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How did we get a Nobel Prize in economics?
This year's Nobel Prize for Economics went to American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford! Their research focused on macroeconomic models and economic shocks.
But … How did we get a Nobel Prize in economics, or as it’s actually called, the more long-winded “Swedish Central Bank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel”? And why did nearly 70 years pass between the first Nobel Prizes and a Nobel recognition for economics?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Why do we live in unusually innovative times?
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The echo of the bison (Encore)
Nearly 30 million bison once roamed North America, from modern Canada to Mexico. In the late 1800s, white settlers and the U.S. military annihilated the population of bison, bringing these creatures to the brink of extinction. The consequences for the people who relied on the bison were dire — and still being felt today. In an episode that first aired in August 2023, we spoke to one economist who reveals the shocking numbers about the destruction of the bison, and one member of the Blackfeet Nation who is trying to bring them back.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. This episode ori...
SNAP strains, youth baseball's class divide, and Meta's bug bounty
This week our top indicators include changes to the funding model for SNAP, private equity’s influence on youth baseball and Meta’s attempt to find flaws in its brand new AI assistant.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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–Why Trump's spending bill could close your grocery store
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The chilling effect of ICE in hospitals
Federal immigration enforcement arrests reached record highs this past summer, and under the second Trump administration, immigration agents can now more easily access so-called sensitive areas, including hospitals. Today on the show: how both patients and healthcare workers are bearing the physical and economic costs of these deportation campaigns.
Featuring Dr. William D. Lopez, author of Raiding the Heartland: an American Story of Deportation and Resistance.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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How ICE arrests are creating 'economies of fear'
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One economist's answer to data center anxiety
Rising electricity prices are one of the primary reasons why data centers are a public enemy this election cycle. But is it realistic to expect energy prices to stay high forever?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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No AI data centers in my backyard!
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Inside Norway's sovereign wealth fund dilemma to divest from Israel
Norway has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, but it’s facing a self-imposed dilemma. Should the fund's investments include companies that directly or indirectly contribute to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war? On today’s show, the ethical tightrope Norway is walking to invest its oil riches responsibly.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
—How would a US sovereign wealth fund even work?
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The proper etiquette of the Venmo nudge
How do you ask your friends to pay you back in a timely way? We’ve got an etiquette coach to help with that.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Is this a bank?
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Can we make Social Security better for blue-collar workers?
Most workers can’t start collecting full Social Security benefits until age 67. But a new proposal from Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens would allow workers in “physically demanding jobs” to receive full retirement benefits at 60. Today, two social security experts tell us the pros and cons.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— Iceberg ahead for Social Security
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New college degrees designed to job-proof graduates
What do influencing, AI and health sciences have in common? They’re all degree programs colleges have launched in the last few years to attract students looking for a new career path. On today's show, how colleges are rethinking degrees for a changing job market.
Fact checking by Leyla Doss.
Your Next Listen
— Community colleges are kind of underrated
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Is investing in sports worth it for universities?
Universities spend millions of dollars every year on their athletics programs. But does that investment pay off? Today, we interrogate the “Doug Flutie Effect.”
Fact checking by Cooper Katz McKim.
Your Next Listen
— How college sports juiced Olympic development
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What does every business need but not every industry has?
What rhymes with "snakes" and helps the government classify economic activity? NAICS — or the North American Industry Classification System. These codes categorize every industry from artificial turf installation to zucchini farming. But they’re not exactly easy to get. Today we look at one business’ quest for a NAICS code and what makes them so valuable.
Fact checking by Leyla Doss.
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— How to take the temperature of the US consumer
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How the rich make money by losing money
Decades ago, rich Americans used to pay taxes as high as 40% on their investments. Nowadays, an obscure investment strategy is helping them slash that figure toward … 0%. Today on the show, Bloomberg reporter Loukia Gyftopoulou, tells us about this generation’s “great American tax dodge,” and the “mad genius” behind it.
A Tax Strategy for the Rich Built the World’s Largest Hedge Fund - Bloomberg
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— What’s a revenge tax?
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Unaffordability index: Rent, GLP-1s, Obamacare
This week’s indicators: Rent is squeezing middle-income earners, the Trump admin is squeezing ACA enrollees, and GLP-1s are squeezing employers.
Fact checking by Julia Ritchey.
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—Why GLP-1s aren't lowering employers' costs
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What Doordash, Dell and Palantir all have in common
President Trump and his money managers made more stock trades since his second term started than all members of Congress combined. The White House says there is no conflict of interest. Today on the show, we look at three companies he’s traded in that raise ethical flags because of their relationship with the federal government.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— Did Trump enable insider trading?
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Why are used cars priced like new cars?
The used car market is out of control and there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix for high prices. Today, three reasons why finding an affordable car is so difficult.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Prepping for a rainy day and higher used car prices
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How will the US refill its dwindling oil reserves?
Whether it’s oil from Venezuela or somewhere else, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve needs to be refilled. The SPR is widely considered critical for energy security. On today’s show, the challenges to refilling the reserves at a time of high federal debt and climbing gas prices.
Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— So… how long before these oil prices get REALLY bad?
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How Hemp-THC businesses are bracing for a near total ban
Follow us to Tennessee where hemp farmers are already pivoting in the face of a state ban and soon, a looming federal ban on basically all THC-derived hemp products. Will Congress step in to save this $28 billion industry?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— How would-be weed merchants hit a ‘grass ceiling’
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OpenAI's waiting game, gas pump pain, and severe sulfur strain!
This week’s indicators: Tracking your pain at the gas pump in real-time; OpenAI’s IPO hard-launch tug-of-war; one unexpected ingredient is making fertilizer—and potentially your groceries—a whole lot more expensive.
Fact checking by Schuyler Swenson.
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— What Iran teaches us about why wars start
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Strait talk: Why the oil crisis is getting worse
A vital artery for Saudi oil exports is under siege and it’s not the Strait of Hormuz. Today on the show, we explain what’s going on in the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane connected to the Red Sea, why it’s important, and why the global oil crisis is poised to get even worse.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— Fixing the oil crisis might not fix the Persian Gulf
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How the bond market is handling AI risks
Big tech companies are borrowing billions of dollars to finance the build-out of AI data centers, and your 401(k) might be helping to fuel that. Today on the show, what AI hyperscalers are doing to the bond market.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?
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How much safer do Flock cameras make us?
Flock cameras promise to reduce crimes like car theft. But these automated license plate readers come with a trade-off: a wide-reaching surveillance network. Today on the show, does Flock actually make communities safer?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— Stuck In China’s Panopticon
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A beautiful bill, Mamdani's market, and stock subscriptions
It’s time for another Indicator Quiz! For today’s quiz, we’re testing the Indicator knowledge of a brilliant mathematician. Will we stump his theoretician brain? Tune in and find out!
Interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number to [email protected] and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— An urban planner, infinite scroll, and … what is a public good?
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Bessent's yen bet, cold Argentine data centers set, and the summer box office net
This week’s indicators: Is The U.S. Treasury Department futzing with financial markets?; Is Patagonia’s pretty picturesque setting … for data centers?; Was the summer box office actually swell?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— A Treasury showdown with the bond market
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Are small town colleges going extinct?
Our favorite entry on the regional economy from the latest Beige Book reveals a troubling development in higher education.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Community colleges are kind of underrated
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Let's play ... Who Wants To Be a Bank!
Why do so many fintech companies — like Square and Mercury — want to be banks? And what does it take to get there? Find out today when we play our fake game show … Who Wants To Be A Bank!
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
—Is this a bank?
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Canada fights tariffs with tariffs
The era of friendly diplomacy has fallen to the wayside once again as the U.S. - Canada trade war enters a new phase. This time, Canada is countering the latest round of tariffs with their own, targeting American dairy, steel and electronics. Today on the show, we hear from the host of CBC’s Cost of Living podcast Paul Haavardsrud on Canada’s trade war strategy.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Why there's no referee for the trade war
— Why a trade war makes wigs (and bones) cost more + LeBond James
Which jobs are future-proofed?
With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job going to exist in ten years? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just the handbook for that.
Today on the show, we flip through the Occupational Outlook Handbook and answer your questions about the future of work.
This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2026
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— How AI is shrinking the job market for teens
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Are job hoppers better at their jobs?
People with jobs are not always eager to leave them … but there are exceptions. Call them job hoppers. While many employers look down on this sort of professional promiscuity, new research suggests there are benefits to switching jobs frequently.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— I'm just here for the health benefits
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Does Planet Money’s game pass the shelf test? We go undercover to find out
We go undercover at a big box store for an inside look at the secret shelf test the makers of Exploding Kittens use for their hit games.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Who decides what big box sells? Our GAME got us answers
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For a lot of Gen Z, gambling is investing
Why are more than half of Gen Zers using investment dollars for sports gambling? It’s been eight years since sports betting became widely legal. Today we look at its impact on a new generation of sports bettors and efforts to curb gambling’s more harmful effects.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who's gonna fix it?
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A Treasury showdown with the bond market
Why is the U.S. Treasury planning to buyback at least double the number of long-dated government bonds it usually does? And will Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback plan pit him against both the bond markets and the Federal Reserve? Today we explain what the Treasury’s up to and what it means for you.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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—Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming
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How ICE arrests are creating 'economies of fear'
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, marking the biggest month for ICE arrests of President Trump’s second term. We talk to a researcher who thinks this increased ICE activity is creating an “economy of fear” in cities around the country — and has the data to prove it.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
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— How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers
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The teacher pay penalty, Meta's major settlement, and a footwear flop
This week’s indicators: The teacher pay penalty; Meta’s massive settlement; Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods are struggling.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that comparable college graduates in other professions make around 25% more than teachers. Those workers make about 33% more.
Your Next Listen
— Why infinite scroll's inventor wants to kill his creation
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