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In the “girl” era, are women really splurging for fun?

Feb 29, 2024
Economic disadvantages like the wealth gap persist, despite talk of the “she-conomy."
Since the pandemic began, single women and other lower-wealth groups saw larger percentage gains in their wealth than their higher-wealth counterparts. Hernández Kent said that’s primarily because it’s easier to double a small amount of money.
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"We've got a lot more progress to go" on fixing racial disparities caused by the tax system

Jan 18, 2024
Dorothy Brown of Georgetown University has spent her career researching race and the tax code. Now, she advises the Treasury Department.
The Internal Revenue Service does not collect or publish statistics by race, but there is more to the story, says Dorothy Brown of Georgetown University.
J. David Ake/Getty Images

U.S. households' net worth surged during pandemic, Fed Reserve survey finds

Oct 19, 2023
Net worth increased, even for low-income families. But is this just a temporary improvement in the wealth gap?
Things like pandemic relief checks and extended unemployment helped U.S. households' median net worth soar 37% between 2019 to 2022 after adjusting for inflation.
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Want to start a business? It helps to have rich parents

Jan 18, 2023
How heavily are the odds stacked against startups without the “massive leg up” of family wealth?
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Slavery ended in the 1860s. Why hasn't the wealth gap closed for Black Americans?

Jun 20, 2022
Juneteenth commemorates Black Americans' emancipation from slavery, yet their economic emancipation continues.
Demonstrators marched Friday in Newark, New Jersey, to celebrate Juneteenth and demand reparations for Black Americans. Structural and legal barriers have limited Black people's opportunities to build wealth.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Report details widening pandemic-era wealth gap

Jan 17, 2022
In its report, Oxfam proposes a wealth tax on a perpetually growing list of billionaires.
The gulf between wealth and poverty has gotten much wider during the pandemic, according to an Oxfam report.
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Can changing home appraisal language help close the wealth gap?

Jul 27, 2021
Descriptions in appraisal reports can create racial bias and reduce the selling price of a home. Fannie Mae is trying to clamp down on tha
Fannie Mae issued new guidance to appraisers to avoid terms it labeled racially problematic, like “crime-ridden” and “integrated community."
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

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College, though out of reach for many, seems key to financial stability

May 18, 2021
A Federal Reserve study shows the widening economic gap between those with a college degree and those without one.
Graduating helps. About three-quarters of the job losses during the pandemic occurred among people who lack bachelor’s degrees, according to an employment researcher.
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Are we headed for a Roaring '20s economy?

Apr 16, 2021
We check in with three economic historians on what to expect in the post-pandemic era.
The economy is fundamentally different today than it was 100 years ago, but there are some parallels.
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A big number that poses big ethical questions

Apr 15, 2021
Grasping big numbers is a hard thing for humans to do, and that has implications for how we think about billionaires.
Jeff Bezos, seen in 2019, is currently worth $177 billion.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images