Perimeter Listening / Economy
Planet Money
NPR · Hosts & contributors
Planet Money follows economic questions into factories, households, financial institutions and unexpected corners of daily life. A rotating NPR reporting team builds each episode around characters, reporting and a clear explanatory thread. The subjects range from credit and trade to labor and the economics of popular culture. It works well as an introduction to economic thinking because the concepts arrive through a story you can follow.
Listen for
The show
Reported stories about the economy · NPR
The Desk’s listening note
Pick an episode about an ordinary product or business; the reporting often makes an abstract economic mechanism click.
Who it’s for
Curious listeners who want to understand economic forces through memorable reporting, especially those who prefer concrete stories to forecasts or technical market discussion.
A useful place to start
Choose an episode about a product, workplace or financial puzzle you recognize, then listen for the incentives that explain why people behave as they do.
From connected public feeds
Latest collected episodes
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The people behind the microphone
The reporting team
A rotating NPR team presents the show. Current credits include Amanda Aronczyk, Erika Beras, Jeff Guo, Kenny Malone, Nick Fountain and other Planet Money journalists; presenters vary by episode.
Sources & further reading
Profile checked September 18, 2026. Editorial notes are Perimeter’s interpretation.