A little show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening today. It's a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and everything else. Listen weekday afternoons. Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

The Indicator from Planet Money

People with American stocks in their portfolio are likely very happy right now. U.S. stocks were on a tear in 2024. But to some investors, that's a reason to look a longer look at their portfolio. Today on the show, one investor makes the case for the only free lunch in finance: diversification. 
Related episodes:
Invest like a Congress member (Apple / Spotify) 
Rethinking what counts in investing (Apple / Spotify) 
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Why to look twice when your portfolio is doing well

Even before the Dune: Part 2 popcorn bucket went viral this year, movie theaters have been trying all types of ways to lure customers back. There's reclining seats, expanded menu options, and even more merchandise. Today on the show, we track the rise of the popcorn bucket and its afterlife on eBay. 
This piece originally aired on July 23, 2024.
Related episodes: 
Coyote vs. Warner Brothers Discovery (Apple / Spotify) 
​​Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows (Apple / Spotify)
Is movie night back?
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The curious rise of novelty popcorn buckets (Encore)

There are some new funds that track stock trading by members of Congress and their family. So we thought, why don't we get in on that? 
Today on the show, we crack open the Planet Money Investment Jar to learn more about how our political leaders play the market, investing in funds tracking Democratic and Republican stock trades. 
Whether Congressional stock trading should be limited is a hotly debated matter. So to test whether lawmakers are beating the market, Dartmouth College economist Bruce Sacerdote and his co-authors pitted lawmakers' stock picks against reindeer at a Christmas-styled theme park. 
Trust us for this ride! It'll all make sense with some intriguing results.  
This piece originally aired June 18, 2024. 
Related listening: 
Stock traders are trying to beat the market — by copying lawmakers 
WTF is a Bitcoin ETF?(Apple / Spotify) 
Planet Money's Toxic Asset 
Planet Money Summer School: Investing 
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Invest like a Congress member (Encore)

If you need some reading glasses in the United States, you don't have to break the bank to pick some up. That's important for older folks who need a little extra magnification. But in some parts of the world, people who need readers don't have that privilege. Today on the show, we'll find out why that is and learn the economic solution to the reading glasses shortage.
This piece originally aired October 9, 2024. 
Related episodes:
Two indicators: supply chain solutions (Apple / Spotify) 
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Half a billion people need reading glasses. Why can't they get them? (Encore)

Gaming provides entertainment and community for billions of people worldwide. However, video games haven't always been accessible to those with disabilities. But this is changing. Today we explain how accessibility has become an increasingly important priority for game developers and how advocates pushed them to this point. 
This piece originally aired April 23, 2024. 

Related episodes: 
Forever games: the economics of the live service model (Apple / Spotify) 
The Indicator's video game series 
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How video games become more accessible (Encore)

Happy Holidays from The Indicator! For the next week, we're running some of our favorite shows from this year. On today's show, we fire up the gas logs and pour a mug of cocoa to discuss the made-for-TV rom-com machine, and how television executives learned to mass produce seasonal romance. 
This piece originally aired October 21, 2024. 
Related episodes: 
Love Week series page 
TV holiday rom coms and the alpaca bubble that burst (PM+ only)
Special thanks to Grant-Lee Phillips for our Love Week theme song and Kaitlin Brito for episode artwork. 
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How TV holiday rom-coms got so successful (Encore)

2024 is over (phew!). We had weird consumer sentiment vibes,  Bitcoin went to the moon, and the economy might have achieved a soft landing. And that's just a few 2024 indicators!
As we enter 2025, what indicators should we keep an eye on? Planet Money co-hosts Kenny Malone and Jeff Guo look ahead with Adrian Ma for Indicators of the Year ... Ahead! 
Related Episodes: 
Econ Battle Zone: Disinflation Confrontation 
The Fed cut rates ... now what? (featuring: Sasquatch) 
The Indicators of this year and next (2023)
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What indicators will 2025 bring?

2024 was a wild year for the U.S. economy: The economy did well in terms of inflation and unemployment, but vibes ruled the roost. (Mostly didn't feel great!) Additionally, Bitcoin went to the moon and some wacky stuff was happening with unemployment and job opening rates, showing that we might have achieved an economic soft landing.
So ... which of these economic stories defined the year? 
Our hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator duke it out in ... Family Feud!
Tell us who you think won today's episode by submitting your vote to Planet Money's Instagram or email us with "Family Feud" in the subject line. 
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Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. 
Related Episodes: 
Is the financial media making us miserable about the economy?
What's behind Bitcoin's bullrun? 
What the Beveridge curve tells us about jobs
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Help us pick the indicator of the year!

The "silver tsunami" of aging Americans is often seen as a potential way to alleviate the country's housing affordability woes. However, the data suggests that an influx of empty-nester homes coming on the market won't have much of an impact on the problem—because of a geographical mismatch. 
Today on the show, we speak to an economist who's looked into the silver tsunami's impact on the housing market and thinks this theory might be more of a red herring.
This episode was fact checked by Sierra Juarez 

Related episodes:
The graying of America
What would it take to fix retirement?
How big is the US housing shortage?
The highs and lows of US rents
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Can empty-nesters boost housing affordability?

President-elect Donald Trump has called for a weaker dollar given it would be good for American exporters. But tariffs, a staple of his economic policy, would actually strengthen the dollar. Today on the show, we explain tariffs and currencies by following one bag manufacturer from New Jersey.
Related episodes: 
How Trump's tariffs plan might work (Apple / Spotify) 
Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update) (Apple / Spotify) 
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