The stock market is down, but you don’t need to be : The Indicator from Planet Money

Traders working on the NYSE floor following the worst day for markets in 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Traders working on the NYSE floor following the worst day for markets in 2025.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Government cuts. Tariff uncertainty. Sticky interest rates. These are not helping the tumbling stock market. There’s a sinking feeling among some Americans that a crash is imminent.

But … should we all be so worried? Today, we brush away the cobwebs of stock market fear and confusion, and bring some long-held facts to the surface.

Related episodes:

Why to look twice when your portfolio is doing well (Apple / Spotify)

The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)

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

Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.