The Daily Economy
Using “Parks and Recreation” to Teach Economics
Economic educators are always trying to find new ways to breathe fresh air into the economics classroom and to get away from conventional “chalk talk” methods made famous in movies such as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986). I know we all remember Ben Stein putting the class to sleep during a macroeconomics class. A new…
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Bernanke’s Math Problem
Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke argues that stock prices have returned to their earlier upward trajectory, following the chaos of the Great Recession. But there’s one problem: He did the math wrong.
Consumer Spending is Bouncing Back
Data released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce show second quarter real Gross Domestic Product grew 2.3 percent following an upwardly revised first quarter gain of 0.6 percent. Along with today’s first estimate of second quarter GDP, Commerce also released revised estimates of GDP for the past three years.
Financial First Steps: The ABC’s of Credit Cards
With so many offers for credit cards out there, how do you choose one? We offer a few tips to weigh your options.
Rethinking ‘Safe’ Asset Allocation in Retirement
How should retirees think about allocating assets during retirement? One platitude says that retirees should decrease exposure to risk, and therefore to stocks, as they age. But this “safe” approach is increasingly being called into question.
Seven Common Myths About Social Security
Deciding when to apply for Social Security benefits is one of the most important (and most daunting) decisions a person will make in their life. With the release of the Social Security Administration’s Trustee’s report last week, it’s only appropriate to examine seven commonly held myths about this complex government program:
Financial First Steps: Why Use Credit?
Credit lets people make purchases and get what they want today, even if they don’t necessarily have the money today, as long as they promise to pay the creditor back at some point in the future. This is an extremely useful purchasing tool, as you may not always have the cash to buy the things…
Teaching Random Sampling to High School Students
Seventeen teachers from six states gathered in Great Barrington, Massachusetts last month for an intensive five-day training session in economics education. Here at the American Institute for Economic Research, our Teach-the-Teachers program encourages teachers to integrate economic concepts into various fields of study. At the end of the program, each teacher presented an idea to…
U.S. Consumers Taking Their Confidence on Vacation
The Wall Street Journal recently ran an interesting article on “The Smartest Way to Take a Vacation,” which is especially relevant this summer, as we see Americans increasingly opening their wallets for a warm-weather getaway.
How to Implement Money School in Your Community
After three successful rounds of offering its Money School course to low-income female survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, The American Institute for Economic Research is ready to help other organizations offer their own sessions of Money School. AIER’s first Train-the-Trainers event will be held on July 30 at its Great Barrington headquarters..
Small Wireless Carriers Driving Down Prices
Americans have seen telephone costs fall nearly 3 percent over the last 12 months, amid stronger competition in the wireless market. Wireless service prices have fallen 5.9 percent during that period, and landline service fell 2.2 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday. In June, telephone services ticked 0.1…
Financial First Steps: Managing Your Credit Score
Many young adults have extremely limited credit histories. This means that we need to build our credit scores by starting to think about different credit cards and loans.
