APM: Marketplace Whiteboard

By American Public Media

News & Politics Society & Culture Technology Business

What's APM: Marketplace Whiteboard about?

Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch of Marketplace, the public radio business show, makes complicated financial concepts easy to understand in this entertaining, informative video series.

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APM: Marketplace Whiteboard episodes:

07.14.2014
Why dark pools became a bad dream for European banks
Regulators are going after the private exchange operations of European banks.
06.24.2014
Explaining the stock split: Some financial gymnastics
In the end, stock splits are all about making shares more appealing to investors.
06.10.2014
The difference between debt and deficit: An explainer
A lot of people confuse the words debt and deficit. They're not quite the same.
05.27.2014
What the heck does ETF stand for? An explainer
Why investing in ETFs can be like playing with fire.
05.13.2014
Explainer: Why dollar cost averaging is stupid smart
When it comes to investing: keep it simple, stupid.
04.28.2014
Drowning in debt? Consider a restructuring
Restructuring sounds scary because it's often associated with bankruptcy.
04.17.2014
When a company gives 'guidance': An explainer
Google's profit dropped 11 percent and the company's stock jumped. How does that work?
04.01.2014
What is an index fund?: An explainer
An index is quite simply a basket of shares.
03.14.2014
How feeling rich helps the economy: An explainer
When we feel wealthy, we spend more. It’s called the wealth effect.
03.13.2014
When going short goes badly wrong
This is a Marketplace.org Reader
02.27.2014
The magic of compounding: An explainer
Compounding is one of the best tools out there to build wealth.
02.05.2014
How borrowing money can create wealth: Explainer
There are a million get-rich schemes out there, but here's one of the oldest: borrowing.
01.15.2014
Explainer: Why can't we cap CEO pay?
Switzerland recently toyed with the idea of capping CEO pay at 12 times the amount of the lowest-paid worker.
12.26.2013
Explainer: the charitable tax deduction
If you give $1,000 to charity, that reduces your taxable income by $1,000, because there’s less for the government to tax.
11.14.2013
Explainer: Fiscal hawks vs. fiscal doves
Why are those who want to fight inflation called 'fiscal hawks'?
10.11.2013
Explaining capital adequacy requirements
Changes to capital adequacy requirements are a cornerstone of the government’s efforts to secure the financial system. Marketplace’s Paddy Hirsch explains.
09.26.2013
Obama & the debt ceiling: An explainer
The government is considering raising the debt ceiling -- again. But what exactly is the debt ceiling: Watch an explainer to understand what's at stake and what it means for you and me.
09.19.2013
Explaining exchanges
You've heard of the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Do people really still stand around and yell out buy and sell orders at these places? Paddy Hirsch explains what an exchange is -- by taking us to the supermarket.
07.09.2013
So what is LIBOR, exactly?
The London Interbank Offered Rate, explained.
06.13.2013
Opportunity cost: A simple Whiteboard explainer
Economists love to use the term "opportunity cost." In fact, you've probably heard it before. But what is it exactly? Senior producer and Whiteboard expert Paddy Hirsch explains.
05.22.2013
Fiat money: It has nothing to do with the car
Your dollar bill isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Why? Because it's a fiat currency. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains.
03.29.2013
How a firm's goodwill is more like soft snow than a hard asset
Goodwill reads like an afterthought in a company's annual report. But it's often the most important component of a company's operation, as Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains.
03.11.2013
Why a currency war could hurt you
A currency war sounds weirdly abstract, like a game played by rival politicians -- but it can have devastating effects in the real world. And it’s not all that different from a rivalry of different kind – a hypothetical sibling...
11.20.2012
Explaining the FHA with help from Uncle Charlie
What is the Federal Housing Administration and how does it work? Uncle Charlie and Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explain.
11.19.2012
Shadow Banking - still dangerous
This is a Marketplace.org Reader
10.23.2012
Explaining dividend recapitalization
Dividend recapitalization: private equity shenanigans or sound common sense? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains how it works.
09.28.2012
The fiscal cliff explained (with help from Hollywood)
You've heard warnings about the economic disaster that could happen if Congress fails to avoid a fiscal cliff. But what is the fiscal cliff anyway? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch enlists the support of his friends Thelma and Louise in this...
09.11.2012
The economic effects of quantitative easing
Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains what QE3 is supposed to do for the economy.
09.06.2012
VIDEO: The ECB's bond-buying program explained with bonbons
The European Central Bank is set to go on a bond-buying spree in an effort to save the euro and stem the debt crisis. But how does it work? It helps to think about candy.
08.17.2012
Explaining what blind trust is with sausages
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says he put his investments in a blind trust to avoid any conflict of interest. So what exactly is a blind trust? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains with a sausage factory analogy.
08.06.2012
What's a floating-rate note and how does it work?
The Treasury Department is planning to roll out a floating-rate note program in about a year. But what is a floating-rate note and why do we need one? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains with a boat analogy.
07.10.2012
Eurobond: An explainer
What exactly is a Eurobond and why are so many people interested in having them? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains with a little help from the three little pigs.
06.26.2012
Explaining the Fed's 'Operation Twist' with diamonds
The Federal Reserve's most recent policy move is simply a way of driving down interest rates. But how does it work? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains Operation Twist with a simple analogy.
06.01.2012
Why a bank run is bad
A bank run occurs when customers run down to the bank and demand their money back. So, why can't the bank just return the cash? Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains using a human heart analogy.
05.11.2012
What's an index of credit default swaps?
Big bets on an obscure index lay at the heart of JPMorgan's losses this week. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains how an index of CDS works.
05.09.2012
Assets: What are they anyway?
Surely you've heard the term assets -- they can be toxic, liquid, or tangible. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains what the word “assets” really means.
04.26.2012
FDIC spells a good, sound sleep for savers
Seventeen banks have failed so far this year, but their customers can rest easy -- thanks to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains.
03.22.2012
The role of a fiduciary
Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the responsibilities of a fiduciary with a taxi metaphor.
03.08.2012
Explaining insider trading
Lawmakers are considering yet another bill to ban insider trading. But the term "insider trading" seems open to interpretation. Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch helps us understand what it is and why it's a big deal.
02.23.2012
Explaining proprietary trading and its risks
Prop trading, as it’s called on Wall Street, is the target of the Volcker Rule, a centerpiece of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act. Marketplace’s Paddy Hirsch explains what proprietary trading is, and why it’s potentially dangerous for our savings...
02.02.2012
What’s an IPO?
So Facebook has filed to go public. How exactly does an initial public offering work? Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains.
01.26.2012
What's the difference: Secured vs. unsecured bonds
Learn the difference between secured and unsecured debt -- a lesson that Irish taxpayers could use as they face the prospect of footing the bill for the bailout of state-owned Anglo Irish Bank.
01.13.2012
Private equity explained
Private equity funds are groups of investors that flip companies for a profit. It’s the technique they use that makes them special, as senior producer Paddy Hirsch explains.
01.04.2012
Re-hypothecation: How it's related to MF Global
If ever there was a word that you’d expect to find in a Harry Potter novel, it’s re-hypothecation. But it's not just a magic trick.
12.16.2011
What is a junk bond?
Junk. Not a nice word. And when it comes to bonds, not a particularly accurate word, either. Junk is something useless, right? Well, "junk" bonds are definitely not useless. In fact they're extremely useful. Sometimes. Marketplace Senior...
12.02.2011
Why does the EU want U.S. dollars?
Marketplace Money Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch explains why Europe needs dollars instead of euros as the EU tries to sort out its financial problems.
11.29.2011
Ring-fencing Italy
There's been a lot of talk recently about the need to ring-fence certain economies in Europe. These aren't the economies that have defaulted or been bailed out; these are the economies that are too big to fail. Italy is the...
11.14.2011
The root of Italy's problems
Berlusconi may be gone, but Italia's problems persists. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how Italy got into the mess it's in today.
11.08.2011
Haircut: More dangerous than it sounds
If Greece accepts the terms of a new aid package it's expected to get a haircut on its debt. But Sr. Editor Paddy Hirsch explain why that haircut...
10.21.2011
WHITEBOARD: Exposure -- not necessarily a bad thing
Most people have dark thoughts when they hear the word exposure, but exposure can be beneficial -- if it's done in moderation, as I explain in this...

What's APM: Marketplace Whiteboard about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

APM: Marketplace Whiteboard episodes:

Why dark pools became a bad dream for European banks

Explaining the stock split: Some financial gymnastics

The difference between debt and deficit: An explainer

What the heck does ETF stand for? An explainer

Explainer: Why dollar cost averaging is stupid smart

Drowning in debt? Consider a restructuring

When a company gives 'guidance': An explainer

What is an index fund?: An explainer

How feeling rich helps the economy: An explainer

When going short goes badly wrong

The magic of compounding: An explainer

How borrowing money can create wealth: Explainer

Explainer: Why can't we cap CEO pay?

Explainer: the charitable tax deduction

Explainer: Fiscal hawks vs. fiscal doves

Explaining capital adequacy requirements

Obama & the debt ceiling: An explainer

Explaining exchanges

So what is LIBOR, exactly?

Opportunity cost: A simple Whiteboard explainer

Fiat money: It has nothing to do with the car

How a firm's goodwill is more like soft snow than a hard asset

Why a currency war could hurt you

Explaining the FHA with help from Uncle Charlie

Shadow Banking - still dangerous

Explaining dividend recapitalization

The fiscal cliff explained (with help from Hollywood)

The economic effects of quantitative easing

VIDEO: The ECB's bond-buying program explained with bonbons

Explaining what blind trust is with sausages

What's a floating-rate note and how does it work?

Eurobond: An explainer

Explaining the Fed's 'Operation Twist' with diamonds

Why a bank run is bad

What's an index of credit default swaps?

Assets: What are they anyway?

FDIC spells a good, sound sleep for savers

The role of a fiduciary

Explaining insider trading

Explaining proprietary trading and its risks

What’s an IPO?

What's the difference: Secured vs. unsecured bonds

Private equity explained

Re-hypothecation: How it's related to MF Global

What is a junk bond?

Why does the EU want U.S. dollars?

Ring-fencing Italy

The root of Italy's problems

Haircut: More dangerous than it sounds

WHITEBOARD: Exposure -- not necessarily a bad thing