Economy – Page 49 – Impact Lab

Analysis, Big Problems, Business, Economy, Latest Trend, Money Talk

Consumers Beware – Reloadable Prepaid Debit Cards Loaded with Fees

January 18, 2011

Reloadable prepaid debit cards represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the financial services industry.

Last year, Michael Abukhader’s 12-year-old son, Jacob, received a $30 NASCAR prepaid Visa card from an aunt who thought it would provide a convenient way to give him cash for birthdays and other events. But once Abukhader, who lives in Queen Creek, Ariz., reviewed the terms of the card, he closed the account.

Continue reading… “Consumers Beware – Reloadable Prepaid Debit Cards Loaded with Fees”

Analysis, Business, Economy, Latest Trend

Economists Predict Unemployment Will Remain Historically High Over the Next Decade

January 17, 2011

The “new normal” unemployment will be worse than the “old normal”.

The American Economics Association held its annual meeting in Denver last weekend. Most attendees appeared to be in a very forgiving mood. While the economists in Denver recognised the severity of the economic slump hitting the United States and much of the world, there were few who seemed to view this as a serious failure of the economics profession.

Continue reading… “Economists Predict Unemployment Will Remain Historically High Over the Next Decade”

Analysis, Big Problems, Business, Corporate Manipulation, Economy, Education, Historical Perspectives

The Worst Credit Cards of 2010

January 16, 2011

Credit Cards Are A Losing Proposition and Some are Worse Than Others.

Design a credit card, and some idiot will sign up for it. Here are the Worst Credit Cards of 2010.

Continue reading… “The Worst Credit Cards of 2010”

Analysis, Economy, Latest Trend

Generation Y Doesn’t Want the McMansion

January 15, 2011

Gen Y want to walk and cycle to work, want to live in urban settings and don’t want McMansions.

Here’s what Generation Y doesn’t want: formal living rooms, soaker bathtubs, dependence on a car. In other words, they don’t want their parents’ homes.

Continue reading… “Generation Y Doesn’t Want the McMansion”

Economy, government, Latest Trend

UK Abolishes Mandatory Retirement at 65

January 14, 2011

British employees will not be forced to retire at 65.

British employers will no longer be allowed to force people to retire at 65 years old, unless they can justify the dismissal, the government said Thursday in a bid to lessen pension payouts as Britons live for longer.The move was welcomed by nonprofit organizations campaigning against age discrimination. Others, however, complained that the move will make it expensive for employers to continue to provide benefits such as health or life insurance to employees over 65.

Continue reading… “UK Abolishes Mandatory Retirement at 65”

Analysis, Economy, Latest Trend

Austin, TX Most Popular Destination for Young People

January 12, 2011

Austin, Texas

Austin, Tex., drew the largest numbers of young Americans from 2007 through 2009, according to an analysis by a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution, replacing Riverside, Calif., which was the most popular destination for young people in the middle of the decade.

Continue reading… “Austin, TX Most Popular Destination for Young People”

Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, Economy, Education, Hot Issues, Internet, Latest News, Latest Trend

Online Resources That Are Transforming Education

January 12, 2011

Education needs transforming

Education technology has become a busy space in recent years. Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates continue to push the envelope with enormous philanthropic gifts toward education reform; Blackboard.com was traded at a $1 billion plus valuation; and Google is putting millions into education tech sites like KhanAcademy.

With so many startups on the scene, it is easy to get lost. Fortunately, most innovation is centered around a short list of fundamental ideas. In this post, we’ll walk through a few clusters of education tech companies…

Continue reading… “Online Resources That Are Transforming Education”