Feb 20 Why is there more violence for violence’s sake today? By Paul Solman Despite the rise of ISIS, terrorism doesn't look like it used to, says University of Texas at Dallas economist Todd Sandler. In his opinion, violence for violence's sake is now much more prevalent. But why?… Continue reading
Feb 19 Watch 6:27 What’s the price of paying for hostages? The economics behind funding and fighting terrorism By PBS News Hour Hostage-taking has become an important moneymaker for terror groups including the Islamic State. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at the larger price of paying ransom and cost-effective ways of fighting terror. Continue watching
Feb 19 How closely should you eye your online shopping cart? By Anna Sillers Although online prices are "stickier" than economists might guess, the proliferation of dynamic pricing means online prices might soon start swinging more often. Continue reading
Feb 19 White House economic report pushes for higher wages to combat stagnation By Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's top economists say that even as the U.S. has managed to kick start a lasting and growing recovery, modest wage gains are far from making up for decades of paycheck stagnation for middle-class workers. Continue reading
Feb 18 Today’s racial wealth gap is wider than in the 1960s By Simone Pathe Average wealth in America has grown over the past 50 years, but not at the same rate for everyone. Wealth gaps, especially between whites and non-whites, are growing. In 2013, the average white family had seven times the wealth of… Continue reading
Feb 18 Look out for Medicare drug plans’ bait-and-switch pricing tactics By Philip Moeller Many Medicare drug plans – both Part D and plans that are part of Medicare Advantage policies – offer very low premiums to get you in the door. But they have ways of shifting the costs back on to Medicare… Continue reading
Feb 17 Watch 6:34 After an election built on promises, what can Greece’s new leadership deliver? By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Feb 17 Watch 2:02 Greek bailout talks falter amid threat of default By PBS News Hour The European Union has demanded that Greece agree to an extension bailout program by Friday or risk losing assistance altogether. The Greek finance minister called the plan absurd, but did not rule out a deal. Without an agreement, the current… Continue watching
Feb 16 The Pleistocene investor who predicted Dow 5K: How does 18K feel? By Terry Burnham Economist Terry Burnham is well know for predicting that the Dow would hit 5,000 before it hit 20,000. Now that the Dow has closed above 18,000, Burnham isn't abandoning his forecast, but he is speaking openly about the physical and… Continue reading
Feb 16 How to get what’s yours from Social Security By Laurence Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller, Paul Solman One day while playing tennis, Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff informed Paul Solman about a strategy for maximizing the benefits that he and his wife were eligible to collect. They decided everyone else should know that secret, too, and are… Continue reading