Economics

University Degrees: Economic Assets or Debt Traps?

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Higher education has long been seen as a path to economic mobility, but in recent years the rising costs of college and soaring student loan balances have prompted questions: Are U.S. university degrees yielding lasting economic returns, or trapping graduates in debt? Nearly 43 million Americans now hold federal student loans (about one in six adults), and the federal loan portfolio exceeds $1.6 trillion. Including private loans, total U.S. student debt approaches $1.8 trillion.… Read more
Business and Technology, News

Tesla vs. BYD: Why Wall Street Still Bets on Musk Over the Numbers

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Electric vehicles have become the battleground for the world’s biggest automakers, and two names loom largest: Tesla and China’s BYD. On the surface, the numbers paint an astonishing story. In 2024 BYD – backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and riding surging demand at home – reported roughly 777 billion yuan (about $107 billion) in revenue, surpassing Tesla’s $97.7 billion for the year. BYD also built far more vehicles (over 4.3 million plug-in cars and hybrids versus Tesla’s ~1.79 million EVs).… Read more
Financial Management

Smart Money Moves to Give Your Kids a Head Start

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Building lasting family wealth is often associated with ultra-rich trust funds – but ordinary households can lay a strong foundation too. Generational wealth simply means giving children a financial head start, whether through savings, home equity, education, or smart planning. The challenge is real: in the U.S., older generations hold an outsized share of assets, with Baby Boomers owning about 52% of national wealth, compared to just 9% for Millennials. At the same time, an unprecedented wealth transfer is unfolding.… Read more
Business and Technology, News

The Myth of Passive Income: Separating Realistic Investments from Get-Rich Quicks

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“Passive income” has become a buzzphrase in financial media and self-help circles. It conjures up images of effortless wealth: money flowing into your account while you sleep or lounge by the beach. Yet behind this appeal lies a critical truth: nearly all so-called “passive” earnings require careful planning, capital, and risk management. True passive streams demand significant upfront work or investment, and often ongoing maintenance. In reality, sustainable income streams usually involve active effort in disguise.… Read more
Financial Management

Rent or Buy? The True Cost of Housing Across Your Lifetime

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The decision to rent or buy a home is one of the most important financial choices a person makes, and it depends on many factors: personal goals, life stage, market conditions, and hard costs. Buying a home means building equity and fixing a large portion of your living costs over the long term, but it requires huge upfront outlays and ongoing expenses (mortgage interest, taxes, maintenance). Renting offers flexibility, lower initial cost and no maintenance, but rent payments build no equity and can rise over time.… Read more
Financial Accounting

From Side Hustle to Sustainable Income: An Accountant’s Map for Freelancers and Gig Workers

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The global gig economy—from ride-share drivers to freelance designers—is booming. In 2024 the worldwide gig market was valued at about $557 billion and is projected to triple by 2032. In the US, surveys find roughly one-third of workers now participate in gig or freelance work. This model offers flexibility and multiple income streams, but also uncertainty. Many freelancers juggle seasonality or project-based swings in pay. Unlike traditional employees, they have no guaranteed paycheck, health plan or pension – they are their own finance department.… Read more
Financial Management

Emergency Funds in an Age of Uncertainty: Building Financial Armor for Modern Risks

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In a world rocked by economic shocks, pandemics, and natural disasters, a solid emergency fund can serve as a household’s financial armor. Today’s economies are unpredictable: companies reinvent themselves overnight, new diseases erupt without warning, and once-in-a-generation storms strike with growing frequency. This age of uncertainty means more people are realizing that having a bulging savings account isn’t just prudent – it can be vital for survival. Yet the path to resilience looks very different depending where you live.… Read more
Economics

Hunger in the Land of Plenty: The Hidden Crisis of Food Insecurity in America

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In 2023 the U.S. was home to roughly 18 million food-insecure households – about 47.4 million people – struggling to get enough to eat. That startling figure captures a paradox: the wealthiest country on earth, with vast fields of abundant crops, still leaves millions of children, adults and seniors uncertain where their next meal will come from. As one anti-hunger advocate put it, these numbers show “we have plenty of poverty and hunger” in “the wealthiest, most powerful nation in world history”.… Read more
Economics

The American Dream or American Nightmare? Terrifying Truths Immigrants Must Know

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The “American Dream” is a Hollywood mirage: one migrant blew tens of thousands of dollars before even touching U.S. soil, and 34 % of immigrant families still can’t cover basics like food or rent. Once inside, newcomers face a gantlet of poverty wages—60 % of workers earn too little to afford a modest two-bedroom home—while evictions and homelessness surge. Undocumented newcomers are barred from Medicaid, half have no insurance, and hospitals quietly “medically deport” about 100 uninsured patients a year.… Read more
Economics

The Poverty Penalty: How Being Poor in America is More Expensive

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Being poor in America comes with a steep and often hidden price tag. It’s a cruel paradox: people with the least money frequently end up paying more for basic goods and services than those who are better off. From higher interest rates and fees in banking, to inflated prices at the corner store, to costly health and transportation hurdles, the poor face a “poverty penalty” at nearly every turn. These extra burdens act like a hidden tax on low-income families, siphoning away precious dollars and making it even harder to get ahead.… Read more
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