Is "free" stock trading really free? How is the recent tumult in the stock market affecting start-up companies? Where's the housing market going in the face of the recent increase in interest rates? Get answers to these and more from The Indicator podcast. 

Summer's a great time to listen to podcasts and go a bit more in depth on current events in personal finance. My goal with this weekly column over the summer is to share with you a specific podcast and summary of several episodes. The Indicator from Planet Money promises a short daily 10 minute podcast (6.5 minutes if you use my preferred 1.5X speed) with a focus on current events. Here are four  that you might be interested in:

• The price of free stock trading describes payment for order flow which enables brokers like Robinhood to provide commission-free stock trades. You will find out what trades are most profitable for these brokers which highlights some of the inherent conflicts of interest in their business models.
• The housing shake-up explains how increased mortgage interest rates (up by 3% since January) are reducing access to the housing market. You will also learn about trends in the rental market. While increased mortgage rates may put a damper on home prices, it may also crimp supply of homes for sale as homeowners decide to stay in place with the low mortgage rates they locked in prior to 2022. 
• What took the Fed so long? explores why the Fed missed the warning signs on inflation and is playing catch-up now as demonstrated by their .75% raise in interest rates during their last meeting (activity based on last Fed meeting here). 
• The rocky road ahead for startups provides a detailed description of the funding mechanism for start-ups from venture capitalists to their limited partners which provide them with the capital they provide to new companies. In addition, it explains how the recent downturn in the public markets has trickled down to these private start-up companies. 

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Did you know that NGPF has a podcast too? Check out recent episodes here! 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.