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Erika Beras

Reporter

SHORT BIO

Erika Beras is a former reporter at Marketplace. She has covered wealth & poverty, aging and other beats for Marketplace's programs.

Latest Stories (345)

Why having a job makes it more likely you have health insurance

Nov 6, 2020
Historically, it's been all about building employee loyalty and tax breaks for businesses.
A student gets a COVID-19 test at a pop-up testing site in New York City in October.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

In this time of comfort-at-home fashion, Crocs are having a moment

Oct 28, 2020
The footwear brand has seen an uptick in sales during the pandemic, and has capitalized on branding collaborations.
A sample of Crocs shoes on display in a midtown New York City shoe store in February 2007.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Why Dunkin' is looking to private equity, again

Oct 26, 2020
In a year of mixed fortunes, the coffee and doughnut giant may sell the business to private equity.
Dunkin’ Brands was sold to private equity firms in 2005, then it went public again in 2011.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Customers want it now, and some apps are catering to those desires

Oct 21, 2020
Customers want their stuff on the same day they buy it. Instacart can make that happen for some smaller retailers.
An Instacart shopper selects an item at a Wegmans grocery store in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in August.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

U.S. households had better bank access in 2019, FDIC says. And then the pandemic happened.

A higher unemployment rate and economic turmoil means the number of unbanked households could rise again.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Federal court blocks Trump's cuts on food stamps

The Trump administration's plan would have ended food stamps for nearly 700,000 unemployed people.
A sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store on Dec. 5, 2019 in New York City.
Scott Heins/Getty Images

For seniors on Medicare, there are new offerings that may be appealing during COVID-19

Oct 15, 2020
Some supplemental plans offer benefits that are related to health care, like access to meal delivery services or transportation to medical appointments.
EMS medics treat a senior with COVID-19 symptoms in Houston, Texas.
John Moore/Getty Images

COVID-19 holiday creep is already here

Oct 12, 2020
Holiday shopping is early and mostly online this year, experts say. Avoiding supply-chain delays is part of the reason.
Consumers return to retail shopping at the a mall in Glendale, Arizona, in June. Holiday shopping will be mostly online this year due to the pandemic.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Yelp will flag businesses where customers and employees report racism

Oct 9, 2020
The labels could change consumer behavior, but they could also run into a number of problems.
Yelp's new racism label could change consumer behavior, but not necessarily for the better, one expert said.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

States are scrambling to build vaccine distribution infrastructure

Oct 8, 2020
Health departments will need trained personnel and equipment like syringes and vials. And states want special funding.
A volunteer receives a COVID-19 vaccination in a trial at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, in August.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images