Posts by Ben Geier:
The leisure and hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in America. Social distancing rules and health concerns about travel and gathering in large groups kept hotels empty and reduced restaurants to outdoor dining and takeout. Though the pandemic certainly isn’t over, there are signs of the economy rebounding. SmartAsset analyzed data to identify and rank which states are seeing the fastest recovery in leisure and hospitality. Read more
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that Americans spent $1.4 trillion on transportation costs in 2019. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Survey for the same year, transportation is the second-highest household spending category after housing. In some parts of the country, households spend a larger portion of their income on transportation than in others. Keeping this in mind, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to identify and rank the metro areas where people are spending the highest percentage of their income on transportation costs. Read more
In a 2021 report, the National Association of Realtors says that Gen Xers make up 24% of homebuyers from the past year, the highest of any generation in that time frame. The report also ranks the age group as the highest-earning generation out of all other homebuyers, with a median income of $113,300 in 2019. Having a higher income allows for the potential to invest more money and be better prepared for retirement. Some states have attracted more high-earning Gen Xers in recent years and a new study by SmartAsset analyzed data to identify the top states to which Gen Xers who make at least $100,000 per year are moving. Read more
Community colleges are an important first step in the higher education of a diverse range of students. They can offer quality education at relatively low costs, potentially allowing students and… Read more
Nikola is an American automotive company focusing on creating zero-emission trucks. It was founded in 2014 and is based in Phoenix. Like Elon Musk’s popular electric car company, Tesla, Nikola is… Read more
Experienced scratch golfers and duffers alike can agree on one thing: the cost of the game can break the bank over time. According to a 2018 Golfweek article, the median cost for an 18-hole round at… Read more
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” That quote – originally uttered by Benjamin Franklin and now printed on school-issued homework planners nationwide – may not have been originally… Read more
Biking is an eco-friendly, cheap, fun and healthy way to commute in the city. But not all cities are equally accessible for riders – some cities have designated bike lanes, while others simply lack… Read more
Divorce is an uncomfortable subject for most people – after all, no one likes to imagine there is any chance that their marriage will end up not lasting forever. The end of a marriage, though, doesn… Read more
Depending on your circumstances, renting or buying a home can be a smart financial decision. Homeownership can help you build equity and lower taxes, while renting offers greater flexibility and… Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has made road races less frequent and temporarily closed down many indoor workout facilities. Now, as restrictions ease amid the increased percentage of vaccinated Americans,… Read more
A 2019 report from the Federal Reserve on the economic well-being of U.S. households says that only 37% of Americans think that their savings are on track for retirement. The rising costs of living,… Read more
While saving up for a down payment and closing costs can be difficult, the U.S. Census Bureau says that individuals in some cities are increasingly buying over renting. According to a recent report,… Read more
The Federal Reserve says that revolving consumer credit debt – including debt from credit cards, home equity lines of credit and personal lines of credit – increased to $974.4 billion in February… Read more
Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in the United States. It is one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical corporations and ranked 64th on the Fortune 500 in 2020. The firm was… Read more
The traditional retirement age of 65 is not a universal benchmark, especially for many older workers who are staying in the workforce beyond this age. The Social Security Administration has set the… Read more
College graduation is a significant milestone in a young person’s financial life. At this juncture, millions of young adults a year in the U.S. are entering the workforce, living in their own… Read more
While there is still a long way to go, women have made significant strides over the last few decades to achieve greater equality in education, earnings and business ownership. According to data from… Read more
Divorce is not a particularly happy subject, but it’s something that many people will have to deal with at some point. The end of a marriage, though, needn’t mean the end of financial security for… Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that renewable energy can increase power grid reliability, improve air quality and create more jobs. Additionally, renewable energy can lower fuel and… Read more
Many Americans see housing as a more preferable investment when compared to the stock market, according to recent survey data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of respondents surveyed in… Read more
Divorce is, unfortunately, the end result for many marriages. However, a marriage ending doesn’t need to mean the end of financial security for those involved. If you know the laws in your state and… Read more
Divorce is an unfortunate reality of life, as many marriages simply don’t stand the test of time. Financial issues following a divorce doesn’t have to be the reality, though. To avoid money problems,… Read more
As part of the CARES Act, which was passed in 2020, there is a provision temporarily amending the rules for taking early distributions from retirement savings plans, including 401(k) plans and… Read more
It’s no secret that the U.S. unemployment rate peaked at 14.7% in April 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak — up from a pre-pandemic rate of just 3.5% in February 2020. As the job market… Read more
