One obvious selling point for Warby Parker customers is price: The vast majority of eyeglasses sell for a reasonable (and curiously uniform) rate of $95. Perhaps what’s most remarkable of all is that the price of Warby Parker glasses was almost set at $50 cheaper.
Economics & Policy
Car? House? Sorry: Graduates of 2013 Are Each $35,200 in Debt
Student debt is creating the most debt-ridden twentysomethings in modern history, and we’re all going to pay a price. Here’s the best advice from new grads.
Viewpoint: ‘Chained’ CPI for Social Security Calculations Robs Retirees
The proposed ‘chained’ inflation index would cut Social Security increases even though a realistic index of elder inflation would push benefits higher. Can we just tell the truth?
The IRS Was Wrong — But Many Political Groups Should Not Be Tax-Exempt
Let’s start with the obvious. Those IRS employees who singled out conservative groups for scrutiny over their tax-exempt status were wrong, wrong, wrong. Any whiff of politics at the agency is unacceptable, and this is far more than a whiff. In time, we shall see how far up the agency food chain the scandal goes.
But this unsavory …
The New Retirement: Forget Being Rich, All We Want Is Peace of Mind
Four years after the recession ended we are still getting signals that our values have changed–at least partly of necessity.
BlackRock’s Fink: Put it All in Stocks
Among other controversial ideas, BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink said long-term bonds had become so risky that young people should be 100% in stocks.
Video: Sorry eBay — Turns Out Some Small Businesses Support the Marketplace Fairness Act
Online giant eBay is leading the charge against legislation that would require sales tax to be collected on Internet sales. The mandate would be an unfair burden on small businesses, eBay says. And yet who are among the bill’s strongest supporters? Yep, small businesses.
Mandatory Savings Accounts Are Coming Your Way
As the retirement savings crisis deepens, the call for forced savings grows louder. We are headed for something like Australia’s “superannuation” model–with the possibility of one big change: employee contributions.
Um, You’ve Actually Been Able to Order 100% Legit Viagra Online for Years
Two key facts are being glossed over with this week’s big announcement from Pfizer: 1) It’s been possible to buy guaranteed authentic Viagra online for years; and 2) Pfizer isn’t really selling drugs directly to customers.
A Big Push for Mandatory Personal Finance Classes in School
in a new paper, the highly influential Consumer Financial Protection Bureau endorses mandatory personal finance classes in grades K-12.
$1.50-Per-Day Challenge: How Chefs, Celebs and TV Anchors Are Getting By
Celebrities and political figures are among the thousands of people living on daily food budgets of $1.50 during the Live Below the Line challenge, a campaign to raise money and awareness for global poverty
JC Penney Reintroduces Fake Prices (and Lots of Coupons Too, Of Course)
In early 2012, JC Penney promised the end of “fake prices”—ones that were inflated just so that shoppers could be tricked into thinking the inevitable discounts represented amazing deals. Well, it’s already time to welcome back …
