Mar 26 Why location, location, location in real estate is ‘BS’ By Marc Joseph Location, real estate agent Marc Joseph learned firsthand, is not enough to substantiate buying a house. He lost $600,000 in Florida's 2005 housing bubble, and the way prices are climbing, he's worried the Sunshine State is veering toward another bust. Continue reading
Mar 25 Who loses from a permanent Medicare doc fix? By Philip Moeller Making Sen$e Medicare columnist Phil Moeller is excited about the possibility of a bipartisan breakthrough in Congress, and on the years-long fight over the Medicare "doc fix" no less. But someone, he explains, will have to pay for the impending… Continue reading
Mar 24 Why Greece should follow Germany’s walk, not its talk By Mariana Mazzucato Europe still hasn't learned its lesson, argues author and economist Mariana Mazzucato in today's Making Sen$e column. National governments continue to focus on cutting spending instead of investing in the kinds of public sector spending that have bolstered Europe's strongest… Continue reading
Mar 20 Could kids hold the power to desegregate an Ohio town? By Simone Pathe In Robert Putnam's new book, "Our Kids," he argues that America has become more segregated by class since the 1950s and uses his hometown of Port Clinton, Ohio, as an example. Learn what residents of Port Clinton are doing to… Continue reading
Mar 19 Watch 8:37 What’s splitting a new generation of haves and have-nots By PBS News Hour Political scientist Robert Putnam grew up in Port Clinton, Ohio, a town where, he says, both rich and poor children grew up together and had bright opportunities. But in the past few decades, social mobility has declined and the haves… Continue watching
Mar 19 Why you should care about other people’s kids By Robert Putnam Since Robert Putnam's youth, America has become more racially and religiously integrated, but more segregated by class. In his new book "Our Kids," the Harvard professor -- of "Bowling Alone" fame -- argues that social immobility presents an economic problem… Continue reading
Mar 18 Somewhere between patient and impatient, Fed looks to June rate hike By Simone Pathe At its March policy meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee refused to lay out a time table for raising interest rates, with Janet Yellen saying that a June rate hike is possible but not definitive. The Fed's economic forecasts, however,… Continue reading
Mar 18 Guess who really pays for your Medicare By Philip Moeller As Congressional leaders grapple with a possible permanent solution to Medicare cuts to physicians, Making Sen$e Medicare columnist Philip Moeller delivers a little tough love about the role that Medicare beneficiaries play in the nation’s expanding "entitlement deficits."… Continue reading
Mar 17 Why you shouldn’t expect wages to rise any time soon By John Komlos For months, the thorn in the side of otherwise sunny jobs reports has been sluggish wage growth. As unemployment falls, wages are supposed to rise. Those expectations will likely play a role in the Fed's policy deliberations this week. But… Continue reading
Mar 16 Am I receiving extra Social Security credit for my military service? By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff clarifies which veterans are eligible for "special extra earnings" from Social Security for their military service and explains how to check if they're receiving those extra credits on their records. Continue reading