It is assumed that renters will spend 30% of their income on housing, that figure is used to calculate poverty, inflation, and government benefits. That number is increasingly becoming a fantasy. Continue reading… “What is the hourly wage you’d need to afford a 2-bedroom rental in every state?”
Why this is the best moment in history to be born in 23 charts
There seems to be bad news everywhere you look these days. Sometimes it seems like the world is falling apart. Between Ebola, climate change, Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, and the ongoing war in Iraq and Syria.
Continue reading… “Why this is the best moment in history to be born in 23 charts”
Do states with no income tax save residents money?
A state might have no income tax, but it might make up for that through other taxes.
If you’re thinking about moving to a new location, it’s reasonable to seek out spots that might cost you less. Thus many people turn to states with no income tax. However, there’s more to the picture than income taxes.
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The ‘sharing economy’ – sharing isn’t free and price gouging isn’t mean
Uber implements “dynamic pricing,” which some customers see as price gouging.
There is plenty of press these days on the pros and cons of the so-called “sharing economy.” Consider the diverse takes last week from MIT Technology Review, the New York Times, and the Kansas City Star.
Continue reading… “The ‘sharing economy’ – sharing isn’t free and price gouging isn’t mean”
Tech wages that will astound you
For high-tech workers in San Francisco, the average annual wage rose to $156,518 in 2013, up almost 19 percent from the year before. That ranked the city No. 1 for high-tech wage growth out of 34 markets nationwide, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data crunched by JLL, a commercial real estate services firm.
Continue reading… “Tech wages that will astound you”
Workers find freedom and uncertainty in the sharing economy
Piecemeal labor has taken on a shinier veneer under new rubrics: the sharing economy, the peer economy, the collaborative economy, the gig economy.
Jennifer Guidry was in the driveway of her rental apartment just after 4 a.m. on a Friday while most of the neighbors in her leafy Boston suburb were still asleep. Her blond hair pulled back in a tidy French braid she was vacuuming the inside of her car. A Navy veteran and former accountant, Ms. Guidry uses the early time to mitigate the uncertainty of working in what’s known as the sharing economy.
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The average savings rates by income in the U.S.
Savings rates vary by income.
Americans as a whole don’t save a lot of money. The latest 2014 savings statistics shows that the average American only saves ~4% of their income a year. In other words, it takes the average American 25 years to save just one year’s worth of living expenses.
Continue reading… “The average savings rates by income in the U.S.”
Swiss government to pay every adult basic income of $2,800 a month
The 2,500 francs would work out to be an income of 30,000 Swiss francs per year.
Every Swiss adult may start getting a salary of over $2,800 (2,500 francs) per month whether they work or not. Switzerland has based this on the idea that their citizens will have more time to devote to things they are intrinsically interested in, instead of spending the majority of their time worrying about how they are going to survive, as many individuals with entry level positions find it hard to meet their needs. The income initiative promises every Swiss citizen a living wage , so they can always survive without basic financial worry.
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Do we have a retirement savings crisis in America?
Is there a retirement saving crisis in the U.S.? A study recently released by the National Institute on Retirement Security shows we are in bad shape. Retirement saving is dangerously low especially for people without retirement accounts. Let’s take a look at the data.
Continue reading… “Do we have a retirement savings crisis in America?”
Northeast corridor is the wealthiest region in the U.S.
The Northeast region shows a kind of wealth belt unmatched even on the West Coast.
America is a tremendously unequal place at the county level. In 2012, the median household income in the poorest county (Wilcox County, Alabama) was $22,126. In Falls Church, Virginia, where highly educated defense contractors and federal government workers cluster, the median income last year was $121,250, more than five times higher.
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How much money do people with your personality make?
Whenever presented with a theory like Carl Jung’s theory of personality types (which Myers and Briggs formalized into a personality test) it’s important to remember that you are in possession of a unique set of neurons whose synapses fire in unique patterns that cannot easily be slotted into one of sixteen “types” from which one can draw conclusions about your destiny. (Infographic)
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How Americans spent their money in 2012
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently released their data on consumer expenditures for 2012. For the poor, food, clothes, and housing account for more than 60 percent of all spending. The rich have more left over for leisure, insurance, and savings.
Continue reading… “How Americans spent their money in 2012”