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Stacey Vanek Smith

Reporter, Marketplace

SHORT BIO

Stacey Vanek Smith is a former senior reporter for Marketplace.

Latest Stories (1,140)

Economic data is looking good. So why the glum vibes?

Jun 25, 2024
Unemployment is near record lows, GDP is growing, inflation has been trending down, wages are up. But in spite of it all, people are feeling bad.
One reason for all the economic angst? A very positive reference point from earlier in the pandemic might make some consumers feel like nothing will compare.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

All you can eat: The tumultuous history of America’s favorite restaurant deal

Jun 14, 2024
Endless shrimp, endless breadsticks, endless salad bar — they've nearly killed a lot of restaurants. So why do they keep coming back?
Red Lobster has shuttered more than 80 locations and laid off hundreds of workers, but all-you-can-eat shrimp? Still going.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Why cybercriminals are targeting small businesses

May 30, 2024
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and small businesses are getting hammered.
Cyberattacks and hacks have the ability to destroy people's businesses, credit and livelihoods.
dem10/Getty Images

Now that pandemic SNAP benefits have ended, many scramble for food

May 23, 2024
The number of Americans facing food insecurity has increased. People are turning to food pantries, soup kitchens and each other.
When emergency nutrition assistance expired, millions of Americans suddenly had hundreds of dollars less per month for food. 
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

How entitlements like Social Security and Medicare got so big

May 3, 2024
These programs are the biggest part of the budget, and cuts to them feel personal, one expert says. Reducing them has been tough historically.
Social Security started during the Depression as a way to get money to elderly people, many of whom were living in poverty. Now it's the biggest U.S. government expense.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Small businesses are under siege from cyberattacks

Apr 8, 2024
Many don’t have the staff or the financial cushion to survive.
dikushin/Getty Images

Think of the US Fed Chair as the economy’s "Iron Throne"

Mar 22, 2024
Don’t let the tranquil tone and technical language fool you — the stakes at the Federal Reserve are higher than anything in Westeros.
Over two years, Jerome Powell raised interest rates 11 times, a move intended to bring down inflation, but that also hit the housing market like a thousand angry dragons.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Who’s afraid of our $34 trillion national debt?

Jan 30, 2024
Our U.S. debt is bigger than our economic output. Consequences include ballooning interest payments and potential trust issues.
The U.S. national debt is about 120% of what the economy generates in a year. But is this cause for concern?
Win McNamee/Getty Images

If inflation slowed down in 2023, why is my grocery bill so high?

Jan 10, 2024
2023 was officially a very good year for the US economy: unemployment stayed near record lows, the markets were strong, and inflation came under control. So with all this good news, why does looking at the grocery bill still feel a little like getting poked with a cattle prod? 
Ranchers watch as cow prices are bid up at a cattle auction in Caldwell, Idaho.
Stacey Vanek Smith

Is it RIP for the NFT?

Dec 22, 2023
After the meteoric rise of NFTs, the fall has hammered the market. Can we call curtains for the digital art market?
A Times Square billboard reads "I hate NFTs!" during the fourth annual NFT.NYC conference in June 2022. Nearly all NFTs are currently worthless.
Noam Galai/Getty Images