Podcast · 541 episodes
The Indicator from Planet Money
by NPR · English
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.
Latest episodes
Is investing in sports worth it for universities?Whether investing in college athletics—especially football—pays off economically by attracting applicants and students amid declining enrollment.30 Sep 2026 · 9 min
What does every business need but not every industry has?The episode explains NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification System) and why every business needs one to be measurable and discoverable.29 Sep 2026 · 9 min
How the rich make money by losing moneyHow wealthy investors may slash taxes using “tax-aware investing,” especially AQR Capital Management’s tax-loss harvesting strategy engineered to generate large losses that offset taxable gains,…28 Sep 2026 · 9 min
All episodes
Is investing in sports worth it for universities?Whether investing in college athletics—especially football—pays off economically by attracting applicants and students amid declining enrollment.30 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 5 chapters
What does every business need but not every industry has?The episode explains NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification System) and why every business needs one to be measurable and discoverable.29 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 7 chapters
How the rich make money by losing moneyHow wealthy investors may slash taxes using “tax-aware investing,” especially AQR Capital Management’s tax-loss harvesting strategy engineered to generate large losses that offset taxable gains,…28 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 7 chapters
Unaffordability index: Rent, GLP-1s, ObamacareThis “Indicators of the Week” episode covers three uncozy affordability pressures: rent, health insurance, and employer health benefits.25 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 5 chapters
What Doordash, Dell and Palantir all have in commonThe episode argues that President Trump’s stock trading and public praise of certain companies may create ethical conflicts, especially because those companies have federal ties.24 Sep 2026 · 8 min · 4 chapters
Why are used cars priced like new cars?Why used cars cost nearly as much as new ones, and why “depreciation” isn’t happening.23 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 6 chapters
How will the US refill its dwindling oil reserves?The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is shrinking as global supply disruptions (e.g., Strait of Hormuz) reduce oil availability and the SPR has been used as a price cushion.22 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
How Hemp-THC businesses are bracing for a near total banThe episode explains how hemp-derived THC products (Delta-8/9/11, vapes, edibles, smokable hemp flower) grew from a 2018 Farm Bill loophole, but are now facing state and federal bans.21 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 5 chapters
OpenAI's waiting game, gas pump pain, and severe sulfur strain!The episode tracks three economic stressors: rising fuel costs tied to the Iran war, OpenAI’s reluctance to go public amid safety concerns, and soaring sulfur prices that are disrupting fertilizer…18 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 5 chapters
Strait talk: Why the oil crisis is getting worseThe episode explains how the Houthi seizure of Yemen’s Red Sea coast—especially Barim Island in the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb—could worsen the global oil crisis already strained by Iran’s closure of…17 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 3 chapters
How the bond market is handling AI risksThe episode explains how U.S. bond markets are absorbing AI-driven borrowing by “hyperscalers” (Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, plus Oracle).16 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
How much safer do Flock cameras make us?The economics and public-safety impact of Flock automated license plate reader cameras, weighing crime-prevention benefits against privacy risks and misuse.15 Sep 2026 · 10 min · 6 chapters
A beautiful bill, Mamdani's market, and stock subscriptionsPlanet Money’s Indicator Quiz episode with listener Daniel Kane; it tests knowledge of prior Indicator episodes about a proposed $250 Trump bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” USMCA, NYC grocery…14 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 2 chapters
Bessent's yen bet, cold Argentine data centers set, and the summer box office netWeekly economic news roundup. Includes (1) U.S. Treasury’s yen-market pressure, (2) OpenAI exploring cold-climate data centers in Argentina’s Patagonia, and (3) record summer box office receipts and…11 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 3 chapters
Are small town colleges going extinct?The episode asks whether small-town colleges are going extinct, using the Boston Fed’s Beige Book entry as a springboard.10 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
Let's play ... Who Wants To Be a Bank!The episode is about a U.S. “game show” for fintechs seeking full bank charters, explaining why non-banks want licenses and what regulators require.9 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 6 chapters
Canada fights tariffs with tariffsCanada and the U.S. escalate their trade war. After Trump imposed 50% tariffs on over $20B of Canadian goods, Canada retaliates with counter-tariffs (15%–50%) on roughly $20B of U.S.8 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
Which jobs are future-proofed?How the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts “future-proofed” jobs, how those projections are made, and how accurate they’ve been over time.7 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 2 chapters
Are job hoppers better at their jobs?Jobs Friday labor-market update plus research on whether “job hoppers” (people who change jobs frequently) perform better because they adapt faster.4 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters
Does Planet Money’s game pass the shelf test? We go undercover to find outPlanet Money and Exploding Kittens conduct an undercover “shelf test” in a Los Angeles big-box store to see whether a new board game, Sell Me a Sasquatch, stands out and communicates clearly enough…3 Sep 2026 · 10 min · 3 chapters
For a lot of Gen Z, gambling is investingThe blurry line between investing and gambling for Gen Z, driven by ubiquitous sports-betting ads and promotions, and Colorado’s new “guardrails” to reduce harm.2 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 7 chapters
A Treasury showdown with the bond marketThe U.S. Treasury’s plan to at least double longer-dated bond buybacks next week, and why bond investors and financial commentators see it as politically motivated or ineffective, potentially setting…1 Sep 2026 · 9 min · 3 chapters
How ICE arrests are creating 'economies of fear'The episode visits San Antonio’s east side, where mom-and-pop businesses and Latino community life are shadowed by increased ICE arrests.31 Aug 2026 · 8 min · 3 chapters
The teacher pay penalty, Meta's major settlement, and a footwear flopTeacher pay penalty in the U.S.; Meta’s teen social-media settlement; Dick’s Sporting Goods/Foot Locker footwear slowdown.28 Aug 2026 · 9 min · 4 chapters