Business and Finance

• Crowd Sourcing Turns Business On Its Head
  What happens when a company lets customers design and vote on their own products? Some Web-based outfits are finding success by doing just that. And the new business model is really catching on.
• High-End Stores Share Discount Retailers' Woes
  Renee Montagne has this morning's business news.
• Calif. Requires Hybrid Cars To Make Some Noise
  Steve Inskeep has today's Last Word in business
• Soaring Food Prices Threaten Progress
  Food prices around the world have hit record highs — and that's starting to take a toll. For example, some experts worry those left hungry in Ethiopia will suffer permanent physical and mental disabilities, such as chronic illness and lower IQ.
• How To Know If You're Rich
  Pastor Rick Warren asked both presidential candidates about their definition of "rich" this weekend. They gave very different answers. Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute offers his definition of rich, middle class and upper middle class.
• Fannie And Freddie Still Shaking
  After a bail-out last month, the government-sponsored companies are still on unsteady ground. The director of macroeconomics at Moody's <em>Economy.com</em> examines what trouble for Fannie and Freddie means for the economy.
• 'Marketplace' Report: Inflation Surges
  The Labor Department reports that prices at the wholesale level shot up 1.2 percent in July &mdash; the hottest inflation since 1981. The federal government blames rising energy motor vehicles costs, among other matters.
• Should Babies Get Own Plane Section?
  10,000 people voted to create a separate section for parents with babies and small children on the bargain fare Web site, Airfare Watchdog.com. The Web site's creator discusses the feasibility of such an idea.
• Tax Credit For First-Time Home Buyers
  Congress just passed the Housing Act, authorizing a tax credit of up to $7,500 for certain first-time home buyers. Our personal finance contributor says consumers need to be careful when signing up.
• Send Your Back-To-School Saving Tips
  How are you economizing during the back to school shopping season? We want all your creative ideas.
• The Econonaut
  What does "producer price index" mean? Adam Davidson, NPR's economics reporter explains.
• Calif. Home Sales Up Amid Drastic Price Cuts
  The number of home sales is finally increasing in Southern California, one of the hardest-hit areas. The bad news is that about half of the homes were sold as part of foreclosure proceedings, and it appears that many homes finally moved because of drastic price reductions.
• Banking, Housing Worries Drive Down Stocks
  Oil prices were down again Tuesday &mdash; about a dollar a barrel &mdash; despite concerns about Tropical Storm Fay in the Gulf of Mexico. But the oil news was overshadowed by the financial markets, where concern about banking and housing were driving stocks lower.
• Grim Anniversary: Credit Crunch Is 1 Year Old
  It was a year ago this week that the global credit crunch began. The mortgage business was struggling with steep losses, and the troubles were spreading throughout the credit markets. Since then, the economy has ground almost to a halt. How much has changed in a year and what's been learned?
• Shares Of Fannie, Freddie Hit 20-Year Low
  Stock in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took a beating Monday on Wall Street. Investors are growing increasingly worried about the need for a government bailout.

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