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Apartment rents aren't rising as quickly anymore, but remain far higher than pre-pandemic

Sep 3, 2024
In New York the median rent for a one-bedroom just crossed $4,500, by one estimate.
A milestone few New Yorkers are celebrating: The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment there is currently $4,500.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Biden White House has a lot on its economic plate before term ends

Jul 26, 2024
Lindsay Owens of the Groundwork Collaborative points to relief from junk fees and medical debt as well as policy fights around taxes.
President Joe Biden speaking in Chicago about his "Bidenomics" economic agenda.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Social Security benefits have lost 20% of their buying power since 2010, report finds

Jul 18, 2024
Social Security benefits are adjusted to protect retirees against inflation, but not enough, according to some experts, advocacy groups and lawmakers.
Every year, Social Security benefits are eligible for a cost of living adjustment. But experts, lawmakers and advocacy groups say the methods to calculate the COLA can be improved.
Bill Oxford/Getty Images Plus

Economy looms large as United Kingdom heads to polls

Jul 3, 2024
Voting in the U.K.'s general election takes place on Thursday, and the economy has been at the center of the campaign.
Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

What, exactly, does "cost of living" mean — and how is it calculated?

May 28, 2024
There are many different metrics out there that may not be entirely applicable across locales.
Some employers use cost of living calculations to set salaries and benefits or to decide  whether to expand into a new area.
skynesher/Getty Images

AARP poll shows women 50 and over fear for their financial security. And they vote.

Feb 23, 2024
AARP found that they're the biggest swing voting block in the upcoming election: more than 60 million strong.
A recent AARP survey found that more than eight in 10 women age 50 and up want paid family leave for caregivers.
Stefanie Loos/AFP via Getty Images

More than 20 states ring in the new year with a higher minimum wage

Jan 1, 2024
The highest state minimum wages as of Jan. 1, 2024 will be Washington state at $16.28 and California at $16. But is that really enough to live on?
 A nationwide livable wage would be close to $25 an hour, says Amy Glasmeier, a professor of economic geography at MIT.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

As inflation moderates, so does Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment

Sep 14, 2023
The 2024 cost-of-living adjustment comes out to 3.2%, a pretty modest amount compared to past years.
The annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is automatic and meant to stabilize the purchasing power of Social Security benefits.
Kameleon007/Getty Images

What is the cost of the American dream in different parts of the U.S.?

Jul 17, 2023
We looked at the cost of big-ticket items and expenses, including a house, a car and raising two children, in four different states: California, Michigan, Georgia and South Dakota.
A view of a house in a suburban area in the middle of the 20th century. For many Americans, housing has become unaffordable.
George Marks/Getty Images

Minimum wage gets a mini increase in some states

Jul 7, 2023
The federal minimum wage has been the same since 2009: $7.25 an hour.
Wage increases, even small ones, can be very impactful for low wage workers dealing with inflation.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images