SHORT BIO
Stacey Vanek Smith is a former senior reporter for Marketplace.
Stacey’s Top 2 Stories
Latest Stories (1,140)
It may pay off to put away the plastic
May 15, 2009
A credit card reform bill making its way through Congress could pay off for consumers who buy with cash instead of plastic. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Stores adapt to a whole new shopper
May 13, 2009
Retail is preparing for the upcoming back to school season with smaller inventories and more style for the thrifty buyer. Stacey Vanek-Smith explores what new shopping data reveals about how shoppers have changed in a new economic reality.
Getting out of $40K in credit card debt
Apr 30, 2009
Sabrina Reigel moved to Southern California and didn't have any friends, so she spent some time shopping -- and racked up $40,000 in credit card debt. She tells us how she got out of it with her sanity intact.
Credit defaults may be next big problem
Apr 22, 2009
President Obama is preparing to meet with credit card firms to discuss the fees and restrictions they slap on users -- which aren't helping with delinquencies. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Keeping ID thieves at bay
Apr 17, 2009
Identity theft can be both frustrating and costly for the victims. Reporter Stacey Vanek-Smith visits one couple who is still trying to put their credit back together after eight years of identity theft.
Mall vacancies lead to makeovers
Apr 16, 2009
Mall operator General Growth Properties has filed for bankruptcy, the largest real estate company to go belly up in history. As Stacey Vanek-Smith reports, to survive in this recession, malls are making themselves over.
Sioux Falls jobs drop as defaults soar
Mar 26, 2009
After Sioux Falls got rid of its credit card interest rate limits, financial giants moved in and brought thousands of jobs to the city. But with defaults soaring, the job market has tanked. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Sioux Falls: The town credit built
Mar 25, 2009
South Dakota a financial powerhouse? It's not what immediately comes to mind. But you can thank this unlikely finance hub for your sky-high credit card interest rates. Stacey Vanek-Smith explains.
A different kind of pork project
Mar 16, 2009
Tonight HBO debuts "Death on a Factory Farm," a documentary that chronicles some grizzly practices at an Ohio pork producer. The film is giving the pork industry an upset stomach. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Higher Tide comes in to 'value' market
Mar 11, 2009
Can't afford new clothes? Tide's newest detergent promises to keep the ones you've got looking brand new. Many premium brands are now launching similar "value campaigns." Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.