Sep 24 Why half of U.S. adults no longer believe in the American dream By Simone Pathe If the economy is the most important issue to voters this fall, how do they feel about their own financial well-being? Half of U.S. adults think they're better off than their kids will be, with even middle class households facing… Continue reading
Sep 22 What all remarried newlyweds need to know about Social Security By Laurence Kotlikoff Don't assume your new spouse will automatically be eligible for a spousal benefit based on your Social Security record. Larry Kotlikoff advises a recently married couple, whose previous marriages both ended in divorce, how they can maximize their benefits. Continue reading
Sep 19 Watch Alibaba’s stunning American IPO signals confidence in Chinese economy By PBS News Hour Within 10 minutes of its rollout on the New York Stock Exchange, Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba sold 100 million shares and earned $25 billion. Though not a household name in the U.S., it’s extremely popular in China and enjoys close… Continue watching
Sep 19 When will your prescriptions be cheaper? By Making Sen$e Editor We all know generics are cheaper. But how much cheaper? Economists find a 38 to 48 percent decline in the prices of physician-administered drugs after the drugs' patents have expired. The decline is slightly lower for oral drugs. Continue reading
Sep 19 Alibaba IPO opens with a roar on the New York Stock Exchange By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba began trading on the New York Stock Exchange at noon EDT today, opening at $92.70 a share — a 40 percent raise from its $68/share pricing the night before. That’s a bigger increase than Amazon.com saw… Continue reading
Sep 19 Benefit hikes hike spending — but not for long By Making Sen$e Editor Washington is forever arguing over benefit increases versus tax cuts to stimulate the economy. In a paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, former Obama economic adviser Christina Romer and her husband show that tax cuts deliver a more… Continue reading
Sep 18 Watch Why the typical worker is struggling to share U.S. prosperity By PBS News Hour The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows a pattern of uneven progress. While the poverty and unemployment rates have fallen, prosperity is no longer widely shared as the economy grows. Sheldon Danziger of the Russell Sage Foundation talks… Continue watching
Sep 18 Twitter Chat: What’s the economic impact of the rise of single U.S. adults? By Nora Daly Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases an “Employment Situation Summary” based on current employment and population statistics the agency collects. But does this report paint a full picture?… Continue reading
Sep 18 Why sell your mansion for less than $1M? By Making Sen$e Editor Mansions, especially in New York City and New Jersey, are often worth more than $1 million. But they're not always being sold for that much. Economists from the National Bureau of Economic Research explain why. Continue reading
Sep 17 Fed announcement drives new record close for Dow Jones By Justin Scuiletti The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high today after a Federal Reserve announcement affirming the continuation of a near zero short-term interest rate for a "considerable time."… Continue reading