djaworski

8/18/2015 - Grad-School Loan Binge Fans Debt Worries (The Wall Street Journal)

The doubling of student debt since the recession, to $1.19 trillion, has stoked a national discussion over how to rein in college costs and debt and is becoming a major issue in the 2016 presidential race. Little noted in the outcry is the disproportionate role played by postgraduate borrowers, who now account for roughly 40% of… Read more 8/18/2015 - Grad-School Loan Binge Fans Debt Worries (The Wall Street Journal)

8/17/2015 - Millennials stuck renting longer before buying (Finance & Commerce)

Homeownership, that celebrated hallmark of the American dream, is increasingly on hold for younger Americans.Short of cash, burdened by student debt and unsettled in their careers, young adults are biding time in apartments for longer periods and buying their first homes later in life.The typical first-timer now rents for six years before buying, up from… Read more 8/17/2015 - Millennials stuck renting longer before buying (Finance & Commerce)

8/16/2015 - Racial Wealth Gap Persists Despite Degree, Study Says (The New York Times)

Even with tuition shooting up, the payoff from a college degree remains strong, lifting lifelong earnings and protecting many graduates like a Teflon coating against the worst effects of economic downturns. But a new study has found that for black and Hispanic college graduates, that shield is severely cracked, failing to protect them from both short-term crises and longstanding… Read more 8/16/2015 - Racial Wealth Gap Persists Despite Degree, Study Says (The New York Times)

8/14/2015 - 13 Years Of American Credit Cards, In 1 Graph (NPR)

A few years back, there wasn’t that much variation on the rates that credit card companies offered consumers. If you had good credit, you probably paid 8 percent interest. If your credit wasn’t so good, you paid 16 percent. But eventually, card issuers became more sophisticated in their use of data, according to Ben Woolsey,… Read more 8/14/2015 - 13 Years Of American Credit Cards, In 1 Graph (NPR)

8/13/2015 - Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers Creating Cloudy Future with Added Debt

The new research shows that while living with debt has become the new norm, the stigma of being in debt has disappeared. Nearly half of both generations agree credit cards serve as a survival tool, while 43% agree, “lots of smart, hardworking people who are careful with spending also have a lot of credit card… Read more 8/13/2015 - Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers Creating Cloudy Future with Added Debt

8/12/2015 - Don’t be too generous with your retirement cash (MarketWatch)

In 2010, only about 4% of households with at least one member age 50 or above reported receiving cash transfers, including monetary gifts, loans or direct help paying bills, from their children or grandchildren over the previous two years. Meanwhile, up to 45% of older households reported giving money to their younger family members, according… Read more 8/12/2015 - Don’t be too generous with your retirement cash (MarketWatch)

8/11/2015 - More employers want workers to put off retirement (Benefits Pro)

Plan sponsors are making significant efforts to keep their older workers employed, according to new research from LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. Eight in 10 employers said their organizations lose experience, institutional knowledge, and leadership when older workers are retired. That faith in seasoned workers is translating into action, as 92 percent of employer report taking specific… Read more 8/11/2015 - More employers want workers to put off retirement (Benefits Pro)

8/10/2015 - A lack of supply drives up housing prices (Marketplace)

Home prices in the U.S. have risen consistently for the last three years. By that measure, the housing market looks pretty good, but the prices are being driven by a severe lack of supply. And that’s discouraging for many buyers especially in some of the hottest, markets like Denver. The supply shortage is a problem… Read more 8/10/2015 - A lack of supply drives up housing prices (Marketplace)

8/10/2015 - Watchdog: Consumers More Responsible with Credit Card Debt (NPR)

According to the National Federation for Credit Counseling, only about one household in three now carries credit-card debt over from month to month. That’s a drop from 2009, the peak of the recession, when 44 percent of households carried credit card debt. Read the full article in NPR.   

8/8/2015 - You only get one shot at retirement: Plan accordingly (The Washington Post)

 A few things come up repeatedly when you ask retirees what they would do differently. One of the biggest regrets, of course, is not saving enough, especially when they were young. The power of compound interest is critical in retirement — you would have so much more in that retirement account had you been serious… Read more 8/8/2015 - You only get one shot at retirement: Plan accordingly (The Washington Post)