APM: Marketplace Whiteboard
By American Public Media
To listen to an audio podcast, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to download and subscribe to podcasts.
Podcast Description
Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch of Marketplace, the public radio business show, makes complicated financial concepts easy to understand in this entertaining, informative series.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VideoWhat'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. | 5/14/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | VideoAssets: 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. | 5/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | VideoFDIC 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. | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | VideoShadow banking: Still a threat | Shadow banking has grown since the financial crisis. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch casts a light on the system and explains why it's so dangerous. | 4/17/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | VideoThe role of a fiduciary | Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch explains the responsibilities of a fiduciary with a taxi metaphor. | 3/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | VideoExplaining insider trading | Lawmakers are considering yet another bill to ban insider trading. But the term "insider trading" seems open to interpretation. Sr. Producer Paddy Hirsch helps us understand what it is and why it's a big deal. | 3/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | VideoPrivate 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. | 3/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | VideoWhat 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 Producer Paddy Hi | 3/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | VideoExplaining proprietary trading and its risks | Proprietary trading is the target of the Volcker Rule, a centerpiece of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act. Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains what it is, and why it's potentially dangerous for our savings and the financial system. | 2/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | VideoWhat's an IPO? | So Facebook has filed to go public. How exactly does an initial public offering work? Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains. | 2/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 11 | VideoWhat'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. | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 12 | VideoRe-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. | 1/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 13 | VideoWhy does the EU want U.S. dollars? | Marketplace Money Senior Producer Paddy Hirsch explains why Europe need dollars instead of euros as the EU tries to sort out their financial problems. | 12/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 14 | VideoRingfencing | Ringfence is the latest economic buzzword. Some analysts say we should ring fence troubled nations in Europe, like France, Italy, and Spain. But what does that mean? Marketplace's Paddy Hirsch explains. | 11/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 15 | VideoThe Root of Italy's Problems | Berlusconi may be gone, but Italy's problems persists. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how Italy got into the mess it's in today. | 11/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 16 | VideoHaircut: More dangerous than it sounds | f Greece accepts the terms of a new aid package it's expected to get a haircut on its debt. But Marketplace Sr. Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why that haircut is more like a scalping -- and it's not Greece that will suffer the pain. | 11/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 17 | VideoExposure -- not necessarily a bad thing | Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why exposure -- whether to European sovereign debt or to the sun -- is not always a bad thing. | 10/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 18 | VideoWhat do companies do with all that cash? | Companies are hoarding cash -- to cushion themselves if the economy worsens. But where do they keep all that money? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 9/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 19 | VideoWhat is a yield curve? | If you've been following what the Federal Reserve is doing with the interest rate, you have probably heard them talk about the yield curve. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what the curve is and what happens if it gets flattened. | 9/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 20 | VideoFiscal policy vs. monetary policy | Often conflated, often confused, fiscal and monetary policies take very different approaches to influence the economy. And use two very different departments: the government and the Fed. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 9/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 21 | VideoThe name's Bond. Eurobond. | James Bond is a weapon of last resort, the man you send in when diplomacy and threats have failed. Eurobond is a similar sort of chap... | 8/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 22 | VideoWhat is a ratings agency, anyway? | How credit agencies work from Marketplace on Vimeo. Here's how I look at it. Imagine a house, full of medical students, none of whom have a... | 8/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 23 | VideoWhy the debt ceiling debate is affecting the economy | If the U.S. economy were an airport, the debt-ceiling debate on Capitol Hill is like a dark cloud causing flight delays, says Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch in his latest Whiteboard video. | 7/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 24 | VideoMeet the Maes: Whiteboard explores the Mae family tree | Paddy Hirsch returns to the Whiteboard to explain the history of the Mae Family Tree. The fate of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-spo... | 3/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 25 | VideoDouble-dip recession? | With the government borrowing even more money, and pushing America's debt levels sky high, there's a lot of talk about a doube-dip recession. Paddy Hirsch explains what a double dip is, and what it might look like. | 1/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 26 | VideoUncle Ben goes shopping | The Federal Reserve is trying to stimulate the economy by buying billions of dollars worth of bonds from banks. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how that's supposed to work. | 10/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 27 | VideoBeware the carry trade | With interest rates in the U.S. at historic lows, some economists are worried that Americans involved in the carry trade could drive down the value of the dollar. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the carry trade works, and why some people are worri | 8/6/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 28 | VideoBankers go head to head over Tier 1 capital | Tier 1 capital is the money that's at the core of every bank. But, like everything else in banking, it's subject to definition, and bankers still can't agree on the terms. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 7/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 29 | VideoShadow banking: still big, still dangerous | The part of the financial system that lends the most money to Americans remains almost untouched by regulation. It's shadow banking, as Paddy Hirsch explains. | 7/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 30 | VideoCurrency pegs | Pressure from the US may have pushed China to unpeg its currency from the dollar this week. But how did that peg work in the first place? Paddy Hirsch explains. | 6/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 31 | VideoMarket makers, stub quotes and new SEC rules | The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to make equity markets safer by pushing market makers to tighten up their standards, and stop making so-called stub quotes. Paddy Hirsch explains. | 6/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 32 | Video'Casino' banks targeted in Volcker rule | It looks certain that some version of the so-called Volcker rule willmake it into the financial reform package being prepared by the U.S. Congress. Paddy Hirsch explains what the Volcker rule is. | 5/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 33 | VideoInvestors sue banks over fiduciary responsibility | Investor lawsuits over failed bank investments are becoming more commonplace. As Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains in the latest from his Whiteboard series, it all comes down to a little thing called fiduciary. | 5/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 34 | VideoCounterparty risk | Europe is teetering on the edge of a credit crisis, and markets all around the world are tumbling as investors worry about contagion. It's all about banks not trusting each other, as Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 5/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 35 | VideoSEC goes after Goldman | Lots of people are puzzling through the SEC's fraud allegations against Goldman Sachs, trying to work out how it allegedly committed fraud. The way Paddy Hirsch sees it, it's a bit like a bookie and gambler teaming up to fix a horse race. | 4/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 36 | VideoFannie, Freddie and the Fed | The Federal Reserve said this week it will no longer buy mortgage backed securities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Some people worry mortgage rates could rise as a result. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why. | 4/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 37 | VideoCov-lite loans are back | Lyondell Chemical issued the fist covenant-lite loan since the financial crisis subsided. Senior editor Paddy Hirsch explains what a cov-lite loan is, and why their return could be bad for the economy. | 3/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 38 | VideoCLOs | Collateralized loan obligations are back! Paddy Hirsch explains what CLOs are, and why they're important. | 3/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 39 | VideoRepo 105 | TheIt's the title of a dubious financing transaction that Lehman Brothers used in 2008 to make its balance sheet look healthier than it really was. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch takes a stab at explaining how Repo 105 worked. | 3/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 40 | VideoSubprime | The Federal Housing Administration is being criticized for underwriting subprime loans, which critics say could lead to another wave of loan failures. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains subprime lending and its inherent risks. | 2/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 41 | VideoPIIGS | Five little PIIGS. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why problems with certain European countries' sovereign debt could blow the house down. | 2/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 42 | VideoHow the big banks make the big bucks | We keep hearing that the banks aren't lending. The truth is they are lending and making a lot of money doing it, thanks in large part to one very special borrower. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch reports. | 1/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 43 | VideoRatings conflict | Ratings agencies are paid by the sellers of the securities they rate. Critics say there's a conflict of interest there. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 1/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 44 | VideoWatch out below! | Commercial real estate is giving Ben Bernanke a big headache. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why its such a threat to the economy. | 12/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 45 | VideoInterest rates | Confused about the theory of how interest rates can affect economic growth? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch is here with a handy analogy. | 12/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 46 | VideoHostile takeovers | We all know what a takeover is. That's when one company agrees to be bought by another. But what happens when companies don't agree and the takeover goes hostile? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 11/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 47 | VideoDerivatives | Credit default swaps? They're complicated -- and scary! The receipt you get when you pre-order your Thanksgiving turkey? Not so much. But they have a lot in common: They're both derivatives. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 10/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 48 | VideoBonds, notes and bills | So much government debt! But what's the difference between the Treasury's bills, notes and bonds? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 9/17/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 49 | VideoInflation | Most economists agree that inflation of about 2% or 3% annually is a natural function of a growing economy. But people are worried government stimulus measures could spark much higher inflation. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 9/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 50 | VideoHigh-frequency trading | High-frequency trading is creating a ruckus on Wall Street. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what high-frequency trading is and why some people are up in arms about it. | 8/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 51 | VideoFactoring | Many small businesses get the cash they need to operate and expand from so-called factors. One of the biggest factors in the business is CIT, and with CIT on the ropes, small businesses are worried. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what factoring is, a | 7/28/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 52 | VideoFinancial alchemy | Many asset-backed securities have been downgraded from AAA recently. But at least one issuer has miraculously repackaged a downgraded deal to make some of its bonds worth a AAA rating again. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 7/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 53 | VideoWhere's the toxic waste? | Banks are paying back TARP money and claiming they're the picture of health. So what happened to all those toxic assets that were clogging their arteries a few months back? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 7/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 54 | VideoDark pools | Dark pools are exchanges where people trade stocks anonymously. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how they work, and why the SEC is considering regulating them. | 7/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 55 | VideoThe 'repo' market | Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why the repurchase (or repo) market is vital part of the financial system, and why the government is considering changes to it. | 6/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 56 | VideoMeet Cap 'n Trade | Cap and Trade is the linchpin of the government's effort to curb carbon emissions. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the cap and trade model works. | 5/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 57 | VideoCapital structure | In stories about the auto companies and the banks, we've been hearing about debt-to-equity swaps and exchanging preferred shares for common stock. To understand how those work, you need to understand a company's capital structure. Senior Editor Paddy Hirs | 5/7/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 58 | VideoShadow banking | The shadow banking system is a key component of the U.S. economy, but the financial crisis has frozen it solid. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what shadow banking is and why it's important enough to warrant its own bailout, called the Term Asset-Back | 4/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 59 | VideoThe public-private partnership | The U.S. Treasury Department plans to recruit private investors to take toxic assets off banks' balance sheets. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the plan is supposed to work. | 3/31/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 60 | VideoCollateral calls | Millions of Americans are wondering why AIG has paid so much taxpayer money to other banks. One reason is because AIG has had to honor "collateral calls" — demands made by banks on the insurance contracts it's written. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explain | 3/24/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 61 | VideoThe Uptick Rule | Bankers have been debating bringing back the uptick rule for months, if not years. This week the debate made it to Capitol Hill. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch gives a quick and dirty explanation of what the uptick rule is, and why it could be reinstated. | 3/12/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 62 | VideoTangible Common Equity, or TCE | Tangible Common Equity used to be an obscure and rarely-used accounting term. Today it's one of the main motivators behind the government's decision to turn the American taxpayer into one of Citigroup's biggest stockholders. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch exp | 3/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 63 | VideoCramdowns | A debate is raging in Washington, D.C., about how to deal with America's foreclosure problem. One proposal is to restructure the loans using a tool usually seen in bankruptcy courts: The "cramdown." Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 2/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 64 | VideoWrite-downs | As markets have deteriorated, "write-downs" have figured prominently in more and more corporate reports. What are write-downs all about? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 2/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 65 | VideoMark to market | There's a debate in financial circles over whether banks are unfairly penalized by the requirement that they "mark to market" their holdings. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what that term means. | 1/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 66 | VideoToxic assets | If you've been following the problems encountered by the banks, you've probably come across the phrase "toxic assets." They've poisoned banks' balance sheets and brought them to the brink of failure. But what is a toxic asset, exactly? Marketplace Senior | 1/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 67 | VideoWhy 'bad banks' might be a good thing | Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's latest plan to get the economy moving — and the risk involved. | 1/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 68 | VideoQuantitative easing | Now the Federal Reserve has effectively cut the target lending rate to zero, it only has one more weapon in its arsenal. Quantitative easing. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains what this "nuclear option" it is, and what the Fed hopes it'll do. | 12/22/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 69 | VideoA look inside hedge funds | Hedge funds used to occupy a dark, undisturbed corner of the financial world, but over the last year they've been thrown under the spotlight. Still, many people don't know exactly what hedge funds are, or what hedging actually means. Senior Editor Paddy H | 12/15/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 70 | VideoLeveraging and deleveraging | Leveraging — or borrowing — has been cited as one of the contributors to the financial crisis. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how the move to deleverage — or reduce debt — is prompting wild market swings and concerns about deflation. | 12/8/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 71 | VideoWhy 'Fallout' for the financial crisis? | The meltdown of the credit and mortage markets will inflict damaging effects upon our economic future that we may not anticipate -- much like the fallout from a nuclear explosion. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why Marketplace is using the term in it | 11/26/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 72 | VideoHow credit cards become asset-backed bonds | Mortgages aren't the only financial instruments that get turned into securities. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how companies make money by buying credit card debt and bundling it. | 11/25/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 73 | VideoMargin calls and the financial market's decline | Some of the rapid drops we've seen in the financial markets in recent weeks have been fueled by margin calls. How do margin calls work? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 11/10/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 74 | VideoOver-the-counter, over the top | Credit default swaps have worsened market anxiety because they are conducted in the over-the-counter market, where regulations are few and information about risk is often hidden. Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 11/7/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 75 | VideoGetting naked in short selling | The practice of short selling has been blamed for the collapse of several major companies' shares during the financial crisis. What is short selling? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. | 10/22/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 76 | VideoThe credit crisis as Antarctic expedition | Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how banks have gotten frozen in their tracks, awaiting a rescue. | 10/10/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 77 | VideoUntangling credit default swaps | When the analysts and experts talk about the current financial crisis, they often refer to "credit default swaps." So, what exactly is a credit default swap? Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch goes to the whiteboard for this explanation. | 10/8/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 78 | VideoCrisis explainer: Uncorking CDOs | Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch gives a bubbly explanation of the intricacies of "collateralized debt obligations" — those financial instruments that got us into this financial mess. | 10/3/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 78 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Simple and to the point
This podcast does an excellent job of explaining the workings of the current financial crisis. The podcasts are well-structured and to the point, yet gives good insight to what has caused the financial situation.
APM Review
Very informative. Does a great job of simplifying a highly complex subject. Would recommend to anybody.
Timely and very informative
This is a very nice podcast...worth having on your iPod. It does an excellent job of explaining complex financial concepts. Kudos to the Marketplace team for putting this out for the general public. It is indeed a service to the community.
