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What's your vice? That might depend on your generation

Feb 7, 2025
84% of adults spend money on alcohol, tobacco, drugs or gambling, according to a new Bankrate study.
Alcohol is more popular among older generations and those with higher incomes, said a new Bankrate report.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

Home equity could fuel a massive wealth transfer in the coming years

Jan 6, 2025
But even if baby boomers plan to pass on housing wealth to their heirs, they might end up needing it themselves.
Passing on appreciated real estate to children could reinforce wealth inequality, said Linna Zhu at the Urban Institute.
Loren Elliott/Getty Images

Retirement communities are creating a "steady stream" of spending for local economies

Jul 18, 2024
At Sun City Texas, where the median age is 73, seniors are kicking up their heels and patronizing a variety of nearby businesses.
Many baby boomers are enjoying retirement and spending it up.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Why are Gen Xers worried about retirement?

Jul 10, 2024
According to a new survey from BlackRock, only 60% of Gen Xers say they are on track to have enough retirement savings. And time is running out -- the oldest of them are reaching retirement age.
Unlike younger generations, Gen Xers are struggling to save money for retirement.
Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images

“I’m at a point where I want to enjoy my life”

Jun 14, 2023
Baby boomer Barbara Talisman quit her job to travel the world. Research shows her generation wants to live it up as younger folks spend less.
Barbara Talisman having an adventure in French Polynesia in April 2022.
Courtesy Talisman

Debunking the myths about millennials, boomers and other generations

It's not true that all baby boomers are better off and millennials have no chance at owning homes.
istock/ Getty Images

What did my Gen Z coworker just say?

Dec 26, 2022
Gen Z has developed its own way to communicate and is now bringing it into the workplace. But their use of language is leaving older colleagues bewildered.
Gen Z slang is making its way into the workplace, but sometimes older colleagues are struggling to understand.
Disobey Art/Getty Images.

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Low wages and high costs clash in the home health care crisis for aging Americans

Apr 8, 2022
“We've never invested in the ability of families to afford the care that they need,” says Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Baby boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 people per day, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Daniel Leal-Olivas-Pool/Getty Images

Is income inequality the reason why interest rates have been low?

Wealthy people and their savings are driving down interest rates, a recent paper suggests. Marketplace contributor Chris Farrell explains it.
A recent paper by economists suggest income inequality is the reason why interest rates have been low for decades. Above, a 2011 news report shows the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates near zero until 2013.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Multigenerational households make good economic sense

The most recent numbers we have show 20% of the American population is living in multigenerational households.
"The multigenerational home is a safety net, yes. But the bigger story is the compelling economics of multiple generations living under one roof," says Marketplace senior economics contributor Chris Farrell.
Morsa Images via Getty Images