The Indicator from Planet Money

50-year mortgages, falling real wages, and doing your rideshare due diligence

It’s … Indicators of the Week! We look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news and bring them to you. On today’s episode: The cost of living is outstripping wage growth [https://institute.bankofamerica.com/content/dam/economic-insights/paycheck-to-paycheck.pdf] for most of us, the math [https://apnews.com/article/home-prices-50-year-mortgage-trump-56a931881ca6f6efeccf2de0333a83bd] behind the Trump administration’s proposed 50-year mortgages, and how we’re just giving Uber and Lyft free money [https://www.nber.org/papers/w34441].  Related episodes:  Trump's plans for the housing market [https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/1215240061/indicator-trump-plan-housing-market]  The Money Illusion: Have Americans really gotten a raise? [https://www.npr.org/2021/11/10/1054451446/the-money-illusion-have-americans-really-gotten-a-raise]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina

The U.S. is committed to bailing out Argentina to the tune of $20 billion using a little known mechanism called the Exchange Stabilization Fund. On today’s show, what is this fund, why was it created and does Argentina have any hope of paying it back?  Related episodes:  Dollarizing Argentina [https://www.npr.org/2023/12/20/1197956140/javier-milei-argentina-dollarize-economy-inflation]   For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Trump's backup options for tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court may soon rule on President Trump’s favorite tariff law.  It could render them moot, but that doesn’t mean the end of tariffs. On today’s show, we explain the president’s back-up options for imposing tariffs. Related episodes:  Are Trump’s tariffs legal? [https://www.npr.org/2025/06/11/1253992700/tariffs-ieepa-trump-legal-emergencies-law]  Worst. Tariffs. Ever. [https://www.npr.org/2024/12/11/1218506684/worst-tariffs-ever-update]   Three ways companies are getting around tariffs [https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/nx-s1-5515756/three-ways-companies-are-getting-around-tariffs]    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Who is the World Cup for anymore?

The World Cup is coming up, and it’s going to cost a pretty penny if you are hoping to attend. Today on the show, we talk to NPR Senior Business editor and World Cup superfan about why the 2026 World Cup will likely be the most expensive in history and why even finding a ticket is more difficult.  Related episodes:  Peacock, potassium and other Paris Olympics Indicators [https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/1197967896/peacock-olympics-paris-2024-bananas] Why the Olympics cost so much [https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/1197967951/paris-2024-olympics-hosting-costs] You can't spell Olympics without IP [https://www.npr.org/2024/08/08/1197968045/paris-olympics-trademarks-enforcement-intellectual-property] For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

How the French pensions débâcle is a warning to us all

France has one of the most generous pension systems in the world. But several governments there have collapsed over questions about how the government will fund it. All over the world, aging populations are forcing governments to rethink their assumptions.  Today on the show, what France’s political fiascos teach all of us about the economics of an aging population, and what a retirement expert’s ideal retirement system might look like. Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025 [https://www.mercer.com/insights/investments/market-outlook-and-trends/mercer-cfa-global-pension-index/] Related episodes:  What would it take to fix retirement? [https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1197962836/the-indicator-from-planet-money-retirement-social-security-pension-03-06-2024]  What does the next era of Social Security look like? [https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/1201730554/what-does-the-next-era-of-social-security-look-like]  When Retirement Advice Goes Viral [https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/618025975/when-retirement-advice-goes-viral]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]