Economy

Economic Sexism Lives On… and On

Thumbnail image for Economic Sexism Lives On… and On by Janice Conard May 7, 2012

When I entered the workforce full time in the early 1980s, I was shocked to learn that I could expect to earn only a little over 60 cents for every dollar brought in by men with my qualifications. It’s called the gender pay gap, and anyone who says it no longer exists has his head [...]

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Could Consumption Tax Affect Income Inequality?

Thumbnail image for Could Consumption Tax Affect Income Inequality? by Kasey Steinbrinck April 17, 2012

The tax filing deadline has come and gone (hopefully you made it). But there’s still a lot of tax talk going on. That’s because the Senate voted down a bill based on what President Obama dubbed the “Buffet Rule.” To make a long story short, the “Buffet Rule” rule came about after renowned investor Warren [...]

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Don’t Blame Victims for Student Debt Run Amok!

Thumbnail image for Don’t Blame Victims for Student Debt Run Amok! by Janice Conard April 13, 2012

Yesterday’s Time Moneyland article, College Students Are Credit Card Dunces, by Martha C. White, ticked me off.  Talk about blaming the victim! Her angle:  “So, just how dumb are kids these days?” White cites Financial Literacy and Credit Cards: A Multi Campus Survey, which found that only 14.6 percent of students knew their credit card [...]

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Marriage and the U.S. Economy – Isn’t it Ironic?

Thumbnail image for Marriage and the U.S. Economy – Isn’t it Ironic? by Kasey Steinbrinck April 3, 2012

There seems to be a funky paradox surrounding wedded bliss and a sluggish economy in the United States. But it’s a paradox that makes sense -  in an ironic sort of way. Certain studies show marriages last longer when the economy is doing poorly. There is also evidence suggesting poverty in America could be reduced [...]

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Are the Economics of Daylight Saving Time True?

Thumbnail image for Are the Economics of Daylight Saving Time True? by Janice Conard March 12, 2012

This year Daylight Saving Time (DST) started so early that yesterday morning when I noticed my alarm clock was an hour behind our atomic clock, we assumed a dying battery was the culprit! It was only when we saw another clock that was also lagging that we consulted a 2012 calendar and realized that  yesterday [...]

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Two Ideas to Relieve Unemployment Pressure

Thumbnail image for Two Ideas to Relieve Unemployment Pressure by Janice Conard March 5, 2012

Ever since I read “An Idea for Changing Unemployment Benefits” by my colleague, Kasey Steinbrinck, I’ve been trying to think more creatively about what can be done to help the unemployed. Having only recently returned to work myself after being unemployed for two and a half years, I think I’m as qualified as anyone to [...]

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Nightmare on Main Street, Part 2: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster

Thumbnail image for Nightmare on Main Street, Part 2: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster by Karen Stewart February 15, 2012

When last we visited our hapless home addition victims, Anita and Jay, they were living hard.  After allowing Vinnie the Genius to walk away with $30,000 to build an addition to their sweet little bungalow, they were left with a big hole in the back of their house, liens up to their eyeballs and raccoons [...]

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Nightmare on Main Street, Part 1: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster

Thumbnail image for Nightmare on Main Street, Part 1: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster by Karen Stewart February 14, 2012

The most glaring feature of these difficult economic times is the decimated housing market.  An unprecedented number of  foreclosed homes sit vacant, daily reminders to all passers-by  that living small is the surest way to get by these days. It is certainly no time to take risks with money; definitely better to hang on to [...]

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Should Government Be Involved With Getting More Things ‘Made in America?’

Thumbnail image for Should Government Be Involved With Getting More Things ‘Made in America?’ by Kasey Steinbrinck February 6, 2012

Is government involvement necessary to help the U.S. economy rebound? Or is it something that will only impede the progress of free enterprise in America? That’s one of the most divisive issues in the country right now, and you’ll hear a lot of talk about such things as we get closer and closer to the [...]

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