For U.S. travelers to the U.K. and the eurozone, currency conversion conundrum

Aug 22, 2018
U.S. travelers to the U.K. and the eurozone face two currency hurdles: calculating pound and euro prices in dollars, and dealing with the higher cost of goods and services over there. How do they cope? With a little magical thinking.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Venezuela launches new currency, but problems remain

Aug 20, 2018
Today Venezuela rolls out its new currency – the “sovereign bolivar.” It’s one of several steps the country is taking to curb runaway inflation, which is likely to top 1 million percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. What effect will this have on the South American nation’s economy? Click the audio player […]
A man shows new five Bolivar-notes in Caracas on Aug. 20, 2018.
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How strong is the U.S. dollar's position as a reserve currency?

Aug 15, 2018
Russian officials were in Turkey on Tuesday, talking with the government there about possible solutions for Turkey’s currency crisis. Both countries are also facing U.S. sanctions, so one idea they floated: Stick to their own national currencies for trade and avoid using the dollar at all. On top of that, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed […]
The dollar is an international currency — a common denomination for global business. 
Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images

Why the Turkish lira’s downfall scares investors

Aug 13, 2018
The economic crisis in Turkey deepened this morning, despite moves by central bank officials in Ankara to calm the flight from the currency. The Turkish lira has lost 39 percent of its value since the beginning of the month. And there’s a reason why the lira’s downfall makes investors nervous — analysts are looking to see […]
A woman poses for a photograph with Turkish Lira currency on Aug. 13, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.The lira hit another record low overnight forcing Turkey's Central Bank to act to curb the lira's collapse however the action was not enough to subdue investors fears over the countries financial crisis. 
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

As Turkey’s currency tumbles, contagion fears rise

Aug 10, 2018
Turkey’s currency, the lira, is in free fall. It’s been declining for months and today it reached a record low, down by as much as 18 percent. Part of the reason is Turkey’s bad relations with the United States. The two countries have been at odds lately over the detention of an American pastor. And […]
Turkish Lira currency is seen on November 21, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey shaken by financial fears, Trump rattles it further

Aug 10, 2018
Trump tweeted that he had authorized the doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs “with respect to Turkey.”
A view of Turkish Lira.
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Decline of China’s currency lessens bite of U.S. tariffs

Aug 2, 2018
The trade story of the day is actually more of a currency story. As you know, the Trump administration has proposed another round of tariffs on some $200 billion worth of Chinese products — ranging from tobacco to dog food to plywood. Now, the president is threatening to more than double the size of that tariff […]

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And now, a currency war?

Jul 20, 2018
President Donald Trump today accused Beijing of manipulating its currency. This is not a new charge. But what has occurred is an 8 percent fall in the Chinese currency against the dollar since the trade spat began in the spring. That helps Chinese exporters, because it effectively makes their products cheaper.   Click the audio […]
A man looks at information posted on a bank door showing how to distinguish real banknotes in Beijing on July 20, 2018. - China's yuan continued its steady decline on July 20, defying US President Donald Trump's warning over the dollar's rise and providing Beijing with a buffer against punitive trade tariffs imposed by Washington. 
WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images
Dan Schulman, left, the CEO of PayPal, on stage with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio at the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival.
Michael Lipkin/Marketplace

Turkey raises interest rates to stem currency crisis

May 23, 2018
The Turkish lira has been on a wild slide recently. It dropped 5 percent against the dollar Wednesday, its biggest loss in nearly a decade, before the country’s Central Bank stepped in with an emergency meeting that reversed some of those losses. The bank finally did something it’d been resisting. Something its president had been […]