Aug 31 Taxes matter in mutual fund investments By Kristen Doerer Millions of baby boomers who are set to retire over the next few years may someday regret that they did not pay more attention to the tax implications of their mutual fund investments during their working lives. Continue reading
Aug 28 The U.S. foreclosure crisis was not just a subprime event By Kristen Doerer While the U.S. foreclosure crisis began with subprime mortgages, it became a much broader phenomenon and mainly included prime mortgages. Continue reading
Jan 16 Unemployment insurance doesn’t just help the unemployed By Simone Pathe We often hear how unemployment insurance will affect recipients. But a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that social insurance can have a stabilizing effect on the housing market in times of crisis, not just… Continue reading
Jan 02 Who benefits from state corporate tax cuts? By Simone Pathe States lower their corporate tax rates to attract new businesses. But who actually sees the economic benefits of lower corporate tax rates -- the firm owners and their shareholders, the workers or the land owners in that state? A new… Continue reading
Dec 30 Think you know how oil prices work? By Simone Pathe A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research remodels the relationship between oil prices and production, suggesting that the actual pressure inside the wells dictates the pace of extraction more than price swings. Continue reading
Dec 26 Why did some Indonesian women bear more children after the 2004 tsunami? By Simone Pathe Years after the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, researchers noted a higher than expected fertility rate, particularly among the communities that had experienced the most mortality. They took a closer look to see who was… Continue reading
Dec 12 Why employees earn more at big-box chains than mom-and-pop shops By Simone Pathe Large retail chains are the target of frequent criticism for paying low wages and exploiting workers, but a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that big-box stores have actually increased wages in the retail sector,… Continue reading
Nov 21 Jonathan Gruber: Success of insurance marketplaces hinges on competition By Simone Pathe The second year of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is now underway. This year, more insurers are participating in health insurance marketplaces, and if evidence from last year is any indication, increased competition should result in lower premiums. Continue reading
Nov 14 Don’t count on corporate gender quotas to break the glass ceiling By Simone Pathe Could increasing the percentage of women on corporate boards have a trickle-down effect on the workforce? That's not the case when quotas, and later sanctions, are used to force businesses to invite more women to the boardroom. Continue reading
Oct 27 When refinancing helps the poor, and everyone else By Simone Pathe Economists know that lower income households most commonly refinance their mortgages and tap that equity when home values rise. But a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that when those households have extra cash on hand,… Continue reading