2024 was a wild year for the U.S. economy: The economy did well in terms of inflation and unemployment, but vibes ruled the roost. (Mostly didn't feel great!) Additionally, Bitcoin went to the moon and some wacky stuff was happening with unemployment and job opening rates, showing that we might have achieved an economic soft landing.

So ... which of these economic stories defined the year?

Our hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator duke it out in ... Family Feud!

Tell us who you think won today's episode by submitting your vote to Planet Money's Instagram or email us with "Family Feud" in the subject line.

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

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Related Episodes:
Is the financial media making us miserable about the economy?
What's behind Bitcoin's bullrun?
What the Beveridge curve tells us about jobs

Consumer spending rose only slightly in April, as shoppers pushed back against rising prices.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

There's been a disconnect between how the US economy is doing and how people actually feel about it. Maybe people are still burnt from when inflation was high, maybe it's the expensive cost of borrowing for a car or a mortgage, or maybe it's ... wait, are WE the problem?! Today we look in the mirror and find out if financial media contributes to negative economic sentiment.

By many measures, 2023 was a decent year for the U.S. economy, but that's not how people necessarily felt. So what economic story best defined the year? Soft landings? Hard feelings about the economy? An inhospitable housing market? Our hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator battle it out over which economic story best illustrates the year.

Tell us who won by submitting your vote via Planet Money's Instagram or email us with "Family Feud" in the subject line.

Related episodes:
Taking the temperature of the US consumer (Apple / Spotify)
A treacherous descent, what will the Fed do next? (Apple / Spotify)
When mortgage rates are too low to give up (Apple / Spotify)
Which economic indicator defined 2022?

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

(Image credit: Kenny Malone, Jeff Guo, Wailin Wong)

Economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index can tell us a lot about the past, but what about the future? For close to 80 years, policymakers have relied on the Surveys of Consumers to give them an idea of what the economy might do next. Today on the show, we go behind the curtain at the University of Michigan to meet the people in charge of checking the vibes of the U.S. consumer.

Related Episodes:
How do you measure inflation?

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

(Image credit: Wailin Wong)

Inflation is the highest it's been in more than 30 years, imposing a financial burden on households and putting President Biden under pressure.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)