News and Issues

The results of a new study indicate that the asset cost of poor health may be substantially greater than most estimates of out-of-pocket medical spending. Poor health may result in reduced earnings near the end of an individual’s work life, or may trigger expenses associated with home renovation, relocation, or the hiring of various service providers. more »

"If our schools can't spare the resources to provide financial literacy as a subject unto itself, I believe that the concepts required for sound financial decisionmaking should ... be incorporated into existing subject areas. Math problems can involve consumer financial calculations. Social studies classes can help students understand the real world financial issues and decisions they will face as young adults" more »

These findings show that while economic theories have emphasized the importance of precautionary assets to shield against shocks and sociologists have emphasized the importance of family or friends, in fact, both play a role in how individuals plan to cope with a financial shock. The highest levels of coping capacity? Canada more »

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency. more »