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Anja Solum

Personal Finance Expert

Anja Solum is a data journalist at SmartAsset covering a variety of personal finance topics, including retirement and debt management. Before joining SmartAsset, she worked on both agency and in-house content marketing teams where she developed her love for data analysis and visualization. In her free time, she nurtures a passion for gaming, a recent addiction to anime & KDramas, and a mischievous labrador retriever. A bit of a nomad, she’s lived in Norway, Jamaica, and Denmark in addition to the U.S. but now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Posts by Anja Solum:

by Anja Solum May 23, 2023

While there is a lot of debate on whether the U.S. will enter a recession – or if it’s already in one – some models have projected a likelihood as high as 99.3%1. While no one can predict the future, we can look at the past and present to understand which places are most poised to withstand the economic repercussions of a recession. Read more

by Anja Solum May 03, 2023

The modern worker in 2023 has more options than ever before. Forty-one percent of workers are still fully remote or in a hybrid role1, which means people can opt to settle down in places that can offer a little reprieve from high living costs. This has given rise to a new moniker to describe the small to midsize towns and cities that have seen a boom in remote workers: zoom towns. Read more

by Anja Solum Apr 15, 2023

Six-figure salaries have long been seen as a milestone for gauging success — the peak between the arduous grind of climbing the income ladder and breathing a deep sigh of relief. Those with a $100,000 salary earn more than double the median individual income for 2021, which might imply financial comfort on first glance. But when accounting for taxes and cost of living in America’s largest cities, those six-figures will feel much smaller. Read more

by Anja Solum Mar 30, 2023

There’s often more risk involved when purchasing a second home than with a first home. Potential buyers may depend on rental cashflows, be wary of potential natural disasters, and be concerned about… Read more

by Anja Solum Mar 07, 2023

When it comes to the gender wage gap, statistics paint a disappointing picture. Women made 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition,… Read more

by Anja Solum Feb 17, 2023

Black Americans are the third-largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S., making up just over 12% of the population. But less than 3% of all businesses are Black-owned. Some places outperform others,… Read more

by Anja Solum Feb 01, 2023

While remote work has boomed in the last three years, the majority of working Americans still commute to work. According to the Census, a one-way commute took workers an average of 25.6 minutes in… Read more

by Anja Solum Mar 08, 2023

The gap between the top 1% of earners and average Americans is stark. In fact, the average American household earns a median income of under $70,000, but in some places, the top 1% can earn as much… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 14, 2022

The hot housing market has shown signs of cooling. Nationally, home prices have declined by 1.3% since their peak in June 2022. And some experts have predicted that housing could fall as much as 20%.… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 20, 2022

Research shows that in some cases, money does lead to happiness. In fact, a 2021 University of Pennsylvania study found a correlation between happiness and income growth, even past an annual income… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 07, 2022

While the youngest Gen Zers are age 10 today, the oldest of the generation are reaching their mid-20s and are growing their careers. By 2025, Gen Zers are expected to account for a quarter of the… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 01, 2022

Travel is top of mind as Americans navigate into the new year. According to the U.S. Travel Association, nearly one-third of Americans will make taking a vacation one of their highest priorities. And… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 02, 2022

Economic uncertainty has been a top concern for most Americans over the past several months, and many experts predict that financial struggles will continue into the new year. However, despite the… Read more

by Anja Solum Dec 15, 2022

While Americans are still facing economic challenges, monetary generosity has also increased. Charitable giving grew by 9% in 2021 for both traditional donations and online giving, according to the… Read more

by Anja Solum Nov 10, 2022

Local manufacturing can provide high wage jobs, be essential for innovation, help reduce the national trade deficit and contribute to environmental sustainability, according to The Brookings… Read more

by Anja Solum Nov 01, 2022

Rising costs of jet fuel, delays, cancellations and inflation have created headaches for travelers this year. And, as a result, consumers are seeing much higher airfare prices across the country.… Read more

by Anja Solum Oct 26, 2022

A recent report on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demonstrates the importance of local measures when it comes to furthering sustainability efforts. Local sustainability… Read more

by Anja Solum Oct 25, 2022

Rising inflation and high interest rates have made affording basic necessities like housing challenging and it’s easy to spend more than what you are comfortable with. Nationally, renters can expect… Read more

by Anja Solum Oct 19, 2022

Though Halloween is the scariest holiday of the year, the impact of rising inflation may make it even more terrifying for Americans across the country. Filling the bowl with copious amounts of candy… Read more

by Anja Solum Oct 05, 2022

There are over two million women business owners, and that number is on the rise. In fact, data from the Census Bureau shows an increase of 17.63% between 2017 and 2021. Compared to 10 years ago,… Read more

by Anja Solum Oct 04, 2022

New home buyers are becoming more cautious. Rising mortgage rates and declining home sales have signaled the end of a hot housing market that has plagued buyers for over a year. According to the… Read more

by Anja Solum Sep 28, 2022

Many people looking for a new job are rethinking their priorities. In fact, from April 2020 to June 2021, the demand for flexible work arrangements grew at a faster pace than any other work priority,… Read more

by Anja Solum Sep 22, 2022

Across all generations, millennials spend the most time worrying about money (seven times a day, on average). Additionally, nearly three in four millennials have credit card debt and carry an average… Read more

by Anja Solum Sep 21, 2022

Large cities can be a great option for anyone looking for a walkable, fast-paced environment with easy access to shops and restaurants. However, the hustle and bustle of a large city isn’t a one-size… Read more

by Anja Solum Sep 15, 2022

Millions of federal dollars are on the way to states as a result of two recent bipartisan infrastructure bills. This has the potential to impact the finances of everyday Americans. Some sources… Read more