The Tooth Fairy is one girl gone wild. Some kids are getting $50 a tooth and the average bounty is up 42% in two years. Here’s what the trend says about the economy and our collective parenting skills.
Planning
Good Jobs, Lots of Dollar Stores: The U.S.’s Best Cities for Cheapskates
Which American cities are best for folks who prefer to keep tight hold of their money? Don’t go looking anywhere along the coasts.
Report: Fix Social Security Now–or Pay a Stiff Price
A bipartisan think tank finds that the costs of shoring up Social Security will skyrocket in coming years. We need to act now, while the costs are manageable.
With Student Debt, Even Paying It Off Isn’t the End
About two-thirds of the 20 million people who attend college every year borrow money to do so. We’ve heard a lot about how growing educational debt loads — the average student borrower now graduates owing $26,600 — can be a detriment to someone just starting out in life, and to the health of the broader American economy. Student debt …
The New Money Math: Start Saving at Birth
The evidence is mounting: The time to start learning about money and saving for college is at birth.
How to Talk to Kids About Money (Even if You Have None)
A Morgan Stanley adviser offers his thoughts for the rich — but there’s plenty here for normal folks
Turns Out You Only Think You’re Spending Less Money
American consumers claim that they’re not spending as much money this year on restaurants, bar tabs, home purchases, and other key categories. The actual consumer spending data tells a different story.
Big Data Is My Copilot: Auto Insurers Push Devices That Track Driving Habits
Increasingly, Big Data – make that Big Brother? – is in the front seat of your car, and is affecting how much you pay for auto insurance.
Back to School Shopping: Parent-Teen Worlds Collide
A renewed sense of thrift has overtaken back-to-school shoppers, setting the scene for parent-teen conflicts
Student Loan Rates Reset Lower — But Probably Not for Long
The student debt crisis is now being likened to such contentious issues as the draft and health care. We just got a near-term fix. But borrowing rates will rise substantially in a few years.
Your Funeral Home May Be Scamming You
Funeral homes have long been accused of taking advantage of their customers, who are forced to make a series of expensive decisions in the immediate aftermath of a loved one’s death, when they’re extraordinarily vulnerable. And a …
No College Degree? That’ll Be an Extra $300, Please: Blue Collar Workers Pay More For Car Insurance
Data collected for a new study indicates that some auto insurers charge higher rates to people who don’t have college degrees. In some cases, this means less educated customers get overcharged to the tune of an extra $300 per year.