Making Sen$e

How two cities organized their elite enclaves

By Charles Murray

A handful of ZIP codes illustrate how very differently Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Washington metropolitan area have organized into elite enclaves.

Just 10 days left to meet Social Security’s April 29 deadline

By Laurence Kotlikoff

If your optimal Social Security lifetime benefit maximization strategy requires you to file for retirement benefits and immediately suspend them, make sure you do so by April 29.

How the first female jurors swayed verdicts

By Making Sen$e Editor

Inclusion of women on juries was followed by large changes in conviction rates for sex offenses and violent crimes against women.

The realities of living as an independent contractor

By Laura Zulliger, Wendy De La Rosa, Kristen Berman

Being an independent contractor often means variable pay and complicated taxes.

You aren’t Warren Buffett. Stop trying to invest like him.

By Kristen Doerer

Personal finance doesn’t have to be complicated, say journalist Helaine Olen and University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack. Their new book, “The Index Card,” asserts that all the financial information you need could fit on one 3-by-5-inch index card.

Are skyscraper races a warning of economic chaos to come?

By Vikram Mansharamani

Construction of the world’s tallest tower is usually a sign of hubris and overconfidence. And it’s often associated with bubbles.

Column: What’s the real deadline for the file and suspend strategy?

By Laurence Kotlikoff

Is the April 29 deadline hard and true?…

How to get vision, hearing and dental care that’s not covered by Medicare

By Philip Moeller

Basic Medicare coverage does not cover vision, hearing or dental care, but the failure to get regular care in any of these areas can lead to serious health issues in later life.