Economics

Auto The Pandemic, Driving Patterns, and Rebates The pandemic had almost everyone driving less. Insurance companies had record profits, as less driving translated into fewer accidents. A few companies gave a bit of a rebate back to customers (mine was less than $20!). Earlier this month, the Consumer Federation of America and the Center for Economic Justice declared that insurers collected $42 billion in excess premiums last year while providing only $13 billion in discounts and rebates.(Yahoo Finance)   Despite lobbying by the CFA, only California regulators have stepped in to try to get more money returned to customers.

Answer: 61% Questions: Have you ever seen/used a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service? What do you think are the pros/cons of a service like this? Want to learn more about BNPL? Check out this FinCap Friday which includes a quiz and an explainer video on the topic.  Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom. Behind the numbers (The Ascent): In July 2020, only 37.71% of consumers aged 18 to 24 had used a buy now, pay later service, but that figure jumped to 61.16% in 2021, showing 62% growth in less than a year...These findings align with recent research from PYMNTS, which shows that younger consumers are looking for flexible yet responsible ways to pay for purchases.

Smartphones can contain ~80% of the stable elements on the periodic table. This graphic details the critical metals you carry in your pocket.

Save America’s declining cities. Bring in the refugees.

You can only save three of these companies. The rest never get founded. Which are you saving? https://t.co/yFCFKfeMJl

Researchers recently ranked more than 5,800 foods by their nutritional disease burden to humans and their impact on the environment. Small changes in diet – fewer hot dogs, more nuts – could help you live healthier, more sustainably.

U.S. consumer spending slowed in July as a decline in motor vehicle purchases due to shortages offset a rise in outlays on services, supporting views that economic growth will moderate in the third quarter amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.

Podcasters might increasingly question whether Spotify’s $$$ is worth limiting their exposure on other platforms.

Third Way is a centrist think tank that offers fresh thinking and modern solutions to the most challenging problems in U.S. public policy, including the economy, energy, national security and social policies.

The aviation industry has a clear business interest in stamping out Covid

Uncovering the dark side of the the student loan industry and exposing how the system is built to work against consumers.

Answer: $800 Questions: The "gold" medal is about 99% silver. Why do you think Olympic organizers chose this mix of metals?  Do you think an Olympic Gold Medal is worth more than just the scrap metal value? Why? Will this scrap metal value change over time?  Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Gary Gensler, SEC chair, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss how he thinks crypto should be regulated, the rise of retail investing and more.

The U.K.’s competition watchdog has raised serious concerns about Nvidia’s proposed takeover of chip designer, ARM. Its assessment was published today by the government, which will now need to decide whether to ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to carry out an in-depth pro…

MassMutual Consumer Spending & Saving Index

Build a life in Fintropolis, a world within Minecraft, and learn financial literacy lessons along the way. Download this gaming experience developed by Ally.

Overview: Limited resources, unlimited wants. Any study of economics starts here!

Dropped my double-shot latte... The cost of coffee beans has soared 43% so far this year, according to NYT. A combo of factors are making beans...

Climate shocks in Brazil and shipping bottlenecks have pushed the price of coffee beans sharply higher. Starbucks says it won’t be affected for more than a year, but small cafes can’t hold off that long.

These charts break down the data behind the headline numbers.

Is your salary keeping up with inflation? This is an online salary inflation calculator that gives you an answer. You can use our wage inflation calculator to determine if your wage is keeping pace with inflation. How does the salary inflation calculator work? Let’s see how this calculator works with an example. Let’s say the …

Homes in metro Detroit are selling faster than ever, as prices continue to rise and the number of houses on the market further shrinks.Data from Realcomp II Limited, a multiple listing service, shows homes in southern Michigan are selling at their fastest pace since tracking began in 2003…

“.@opendorse shared its July data with @SINow. Highlights: - 88% of NIL transactions were from social media - 46% of NIL money was from social media & 29% from using a player's likeness in ads - one athlete earned $210,000 in total NIL compensation in July, but average was $471”

ROCKFORD — An invasive bug that could threaten Michigan's Christmas tree industry has been discovered in the western part of the state. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said Monday it confirmed the presence of the balsam woolly adelgid near Rockford in Kent County. …

The U.S. economy contracted 4.8% in the first quarter of 2020. With the coronavirus crisis continuing into the summer, economists are expecting an even steep...

When profit-motivated companies are spending money on big projects, they likely expect to earn that money back later on. While Target may be willing to pay for its associates to earn a degree, they also expect to profit.