Follow the Money
Premiums are only part of the story. We examine the insurance business model — underwriting, investment income and risk transfer — and what it means for the people paying the bills.
Financial documentaries. Unexpected stories.
Everything has a price. There’s always a reason.
Fascinating stories about money, business and power. We uncover the surprising economics behind ordinary life—and the companies changing it.
Stories worth a closer look.
Explore the questions behind our upcoming documentaries. Each working brief follows the incentives, the business model and the sources.
The Hidden Economics
The Hidden Economics
The American Money Trap on YouTube
Follow the story, not just the headline.
Our home on YouTube: financial documentaries and investigative explainers built around the question “How does that actually work?” Follow the channel, then explore the research here.
There’s more to the story.
The Hidden Economics
Ordinary life. Extraordinary economics.
The surprising systems behind the prices, products and decisions that shape everyday American life. Ordinary experiences make extraordinary economic stories.
Follow the Money
There’s a business model behind that.
The ingenious business models, pricing strategies and incentives behind familiar companies—and the trade-offs they create. Look closer at who makes the money, and how.
The Collapse
The rise, the reinvention, the next chapter.
Industries don’t stand still. Explore the bold bets, unlikely successes, reinventions and market shifts behind their rise and fall—and what might come next.
Curiosity, with receipts.
Clear explanations, sources you can explore, and an open distinction between research and published reporting. A fascinating story should reward a closer look.
How we workThe newsletter · Free
The Money Trap Briefing.
The story behind the story, in your inbox.
New investigations, surprising business models and primary sources worth your time. Our free briefing is in preparation; join the list for future editions.
The American Money Trap
The Money Trap Briefing.
- 1
The lead investigation
The new documentary, in five minutes of reading.
- 2
Follow the money
One business model, explained plainly.
- 3
From the edit room
What we're researching next, and why.
- 4
Further reading
The primary sources behind the story.