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
Jul 14 Watch Citigroup to pay $7 billion for ‘egregious misconduct’ leading up to financial crisis By PBS News Hour The Justice Department announced a $7 billion settlement with Citigroup over “egregious misconduct” related to mortgage securities in the lead-up to the financial crisis. Judy Woodruff gets details from Tony West, associate attorney general at the Department of Justice and… Continue watching
Jul 14 How Social Security should guide when you marry a younger partner By Laurence Kotlikoff When there's an age difference between partners, and one is eligible for Social Security long before the other, when should the couple tie the knot? Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff advises one man how to maximize his own benefits and… Continue reading
Jul 14 The Dow may be above 17,000, but not for long By Terry Burnham A year after economist Terry Burnham predicted the Dow Jones Industrial Average would hit 5,000 before 20,000, it closed above 17,000 Monday. But Burnham is sticking by his call, introducing a scorecard to track the macroeconomic policies underlying the impending… Continue reading
Jul 14 Swiss Lindt buys Russell Stover By Jordan Vesey Swiss chocolate giant Lindt & Spruengli agreed on a billion-dollar deal to buy U.S. candy maker Russell Stover. The partnership makes Lindt the third largest chocolate maker in North America behind Hershey and Mars, owning 7.9 percent of the market. Continue reading