Daily Economy News
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Amid a Soft Patch, Some Sweet Relief
We’ve seen a mixed picture of the economy lately, with a good jobs report last week coming amid some concerning signs of core weakness. But some new data provide some reassurance that we may once again be slogging through a soft patch rather than sliding into recession.
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Six (Painful) Ways to Save Social Security
With the Social Security Trust Fund projected to run out of money in 2034, and demographic shifts underway, pressure is slowly growing to find some way to keep the popular program solvent for years to come. In a new brief out today from the American Institute for Economic Research, the authors highlight the six options…
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Jobs Growth Continues, But Uneven Among Industries
The U.S. economy added jobs in March and more people are joining the labor force. Employee earnings continue growing at a decent pace, which bodes well for incomes. However, goods producing industries lost jobs for the second month in a row, a continued area of concern.
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Ask the Economist: Food Stamps and Low Unemployment
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously known as food stamps) has about 45 million participants, near historical highs. But unemployment rates have dropped sharply since recession highs in 2009 and 2010.
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•
Some Noteworthy Core Weakness
Amid a backdrop of a slow global economy and an energy slump, the U.S. economy has managed to keep growing on the back of three core areas within the domestic economy: consumer spending, housing, and business investment. In recent days, we saw indications that one of those three areas has been weakening.
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Teaching Inflation, Using a Day at the Ballpark
Our Teach-the-Teachers program encourages creative ways to explain economic concepts. One alumnus, Steve Estelle, created an especially creative teaching tool: He demonstrated inflation using things purchased during a day at the ballpark.
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Mixed Signals In the Revised GDP Report
The economy grew faster at the end of 2015 than we previously thought, but a deeper look at the data uncovers a mix of good and worrying signs.
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•
Working Class Americans Deserve a Retirement, Too
Just how high a mountain do working class millennials have to climb when it comes to planning for their future? Sometimes the act of thinking beyond this month’s bills can feel out of reach
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Financial Wellness Isn’t Enough
Financial wellness is a term being used more and more these days, but a big piece of the puzzle is missing. As we at AIER have thought about how to help individuals make choices that safeguard their economic freedom and well-being, we’ve begun instead to use the term economic wellness.
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Basic Estate Planning: A Trust, A Will, or Both?
In my last blog, I reviewed easy, affordable options available to start planning your estate, including creating a will. However, there is an additional option that many people don’t think of, the trust. For some people, a trust can be more useful than a will. For others, a will is better. Some will decide they…
-
•
Amid a Soft Patch, Some Sweet Relief
We’ve seen a mixed picture of the economy lately, with a good jobs report last week coming amid some concerning signs of core weakness. But some new data provide some reassurance that we may once again be slogging through a soft patch rather than sliding into recession.
-
•
Six (Painful) Ways to Save Social Security
With the Social Security Trust Fund projected to run out of money in 2034, and demographic shifts underway, pressure is slowly growing to find some way to keep the popular program solvent for years to come. In a new brief out today from the American Institute for Economic Research, the authors highlight the six options…
-
•
Jobs Growth Continues, But Uneven Among Industries
The U.S. economy added jobs in March and more people are joining the labor force. Employee earnings continue growing at a decent pace, which bodes well for incomes. However, goods producing industries lost jobs for the second month in a row, a continued area of concern.
-
•
Ask the Economist: Food Stamps and Low Unemployment
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously known as food stamps) has about 45 million participants, near historical highs. But unemployment rates have dropped sharply since recession highs in 2009 and 2010.
-
•
Some Noteworthy Core Weakness
Amid a backdrop of a slow global economy and an energy slump, the U.S. economy has managed to keep growing on the back of three core areas within the domestic economy: consumer spending, housing, and business investment. In recent days, we saw indications that one of those three areas has been weakening.
-
•
Teaching Inflation, Using a Day at the Ballpark
Our Teach-the-Teachers program encourages creative ways to explain economic concepts. One alumnus, Steve Estelle, created an especially creative teaching tool: He demonstrated inflation using things purchased during a day at the ballpark.
-
•
Mixed Signals In the Revised GDP Report
The economy grew faster at the end of 2015 than we previously thought, but a deeper look at the data uncovers a mix of good and worrying signs.
-
•
Working Class Americans Deserve a Retirement, Too
Just how high a mountain do working class millennials have to climb when it comes to planning for their future? Sometimes the act of thinking beyond this month’s bills can feel out of reach
-
•
Financial Wellness Isn’t Enough
Financial wellness is a term being used more and more these days, but a big piece of the puzzle is missing. As we at AIER have thought about how to help individuals make choices that safeguard their economic freedom and well-being, we’ve begun instead to use the term economic wellness.
-
•
Basic Estate Planning: A Trust, A Will, or Both?
In my last blog, I reviewed easy, affordable options available to start planning your estate, including creating a will. However, there is an additional option that many people don’t think of, the trust. For some people, a trust can be more useful than a will. For others, a will is better. Some will decide they…