Jul 20 Can you be nudged into saving money? Some companies are banking on it By Sam Weber New evidence from behavioral economists, researchers who study the psychology behind financial decisions, is at the root of what a number of major companies are using to help consumers get a better fiscal foothold. Continue reading
Jul 18 Baby, it’s you: Why boomers are an economic boon By Lincoln Caplan Between 2010 and 2030, the ratio of Americans 65 and older to those of working age is projected to increase by nearly 60 percent. With Americans living and working longer, Yale Law School's Lincoln Caplan questions the accuracy of the… Continue reading
Jul 17 Watch CEO Mary Barra defends GM’s top lawyer, blames fired employees for deadly defect failures By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Jul 17 Watch News Wrap: Obama warns Putin of further sanctions By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Thursday, President Obama advised Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid further sanctions, a day after new measures to punish Moscow’s support of Ukrainian rebels. Putin said the sanctions will push U.S.-Russia relations to a “dead end,”… Continue watching
Jul 17 Real inequality: why things are better than they seem and will almost surely get worse By John Nye Welfare inequality, John Nye argues, is much less severe than it used to be, and trying to tax away or regulate income inequality will only make more intractable forms of inequality more pernicious. Continue reading
Jul 16 The cruel key to individual prosperity: choosing the right ancestors By Gregory Clark In a column adapted from one of the most provocative economics books of the year, "The Son Also Rises," economic historian Gregory Clark argues that social status is inherited from your parents just as strongly as height. Continue reading
Jul 15 Watch Could Brooklyn hipsters help save the middle class? By PBS News Hour Frozen ginger slushies, tea-based pro-biotic drinks, a bed bug-killing steam machine -- these are just a few of the locally-grown products coming out of Brooklyn’s burgeoning artisan economy. But as popular as these start-ups may be, are they generating more… Continue watching
Jul 15 Watch Yellen cautions against being overly optimistic before raising interest rates By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Jul 15 Get a liberal arts B.A., not a business B.A., for the coming artisan economy By Lawrence Katz Why should young people today want a liberal arts education? A strong multidisciplinary background teaches the flexibility and critical thinking needed to take advantage of the new "artisan economy" that Harvard's Larry Katz thinks can help bolster America's middle class. Continue reading
Jul 15 Yellen signals Fed will continue to boost economy By Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press In delivering an economic report to Congress, Yellen says the Fed's future actions will depend on how the economy performs. She says if labor market conditions continue to improve more quickly than anticipated, the Fed could raise its key short-term… Continue reading