Marketplace All-in-One

Baby boomers make up the biggest share of homebuyers. Most downsize in their golden years, selling a bigger house and purchasing something smaller. But an increasing number are bucking that trend by buying larger homes or holding on to their bigger houses and renovating them. All of this has implications for a housing market where inventories are below historic norms. But first, more than 10% of student loans are at least 90 days past due.

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Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories featured in this episode:

The student loan delinquency rate is ticking up
Baby boomers are supposed to downsize. Some are doing the opposite

This story includes discussion of suicide.

Back in 2021, TikTok tweaked its algorithm in an effort to address dangerous filter bubbles — a sort of algorithmic spiral of recommendations for high-risk content like extreme dieting or self-harm. But internal company documents obtained by Bloomberg Businessweek show 10% of U.S. users — 15 million Americans — were purposely excluded from this safety update. This was part of user testing to validate the new feature and track whether it reduced engagement with the famously sticky platform.

One of those users was then-16-year-old Chase Nasca, who subsequently died by suicide. Olivia Carville, Bloomberg Businessweek investigative reporter, has been on the story.

Credit card delinquencies are sitting at 13% so far this year. It’s the highest national rate since the tail-end of the Great Recession. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, including high inflation and job uncertainty, is partially to blame. Also in this episode: Home equity lines of credit become more popular as traditional borrowing rates climb, small business owners are cautious but optimistic — and trying to hire — and Kyla Scanlon explains economic nihilism.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Read the stories in today’s episode:

Younger consumers are turning to "little treats" in the face of economic nihilism
Why lines of credit have become a preferred piggy bank for homeowners
Credit card delinquencies approach Great Recession levels
China is shaping the technology of the future. Where does that leave the U.S.?
Small business owners are feeling uncertain but optimistic

We have the latest reading on how small businesses are feeling in this economy, courtesy of the National Federation of Independent Business's Small Business Optimism Index. Small businesses are more upbeat and are looking to hire. We discuss that and other economic data drops. Then, as part of Marketplace's "What's That Like?" series, we hear what it takes to become a game designer behind Hasbro's "Magic: The Gathering."

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Up until last year, construction workers were not in high demand. The data center construction boom has been changing that. Wage growth in the sector is outpacing the rest of the labor market. But the benefits of that growth are relatively limited. This morning, we'll dig in. Plus, President Trump is extending his waiver of the Jones Act to counteract oil disruptions, and the demand for EVs has risen alongside higher gas prices.

Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.

Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Stories featured in this episode:

Dealers are paying more for used EVs and smaller cars as gas prices stay high
How data center construction is affecting the labor market