Posts by Ben Geier:
The U.S. is a federal republic, meaning that power is held by both the central federal government, located in Washington, D.C., and by the governments of every state and territory that make up the union. But the “division of powers” isn’t as simple as it seems – and neither is the division of finances, since states rely on the federal government for money and various programs to help them operate. With all this in mind, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to see which states are the most dependent on the federal government. Read more
While the coronavirus pandemic has impacted millions of Americans with businesses shuttering and companies laying off employees, the secondary home market is seeing an unexpected surge. Remote workers are temporarily relocating from larger cities to less dense, more comfortable spaces. The real estate brokerage firm Redfin reported that the demand for second homes jumped 100% in October 2020 when compared to the previous year. This outpaces the demand for primary homes, which only saw a 50% increase during that same period in their study. Keeping in mind that many remote workers are still looking for second homes, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find out which secondary home markets are the most popular. Read more
While Baby Boomers and Generation X are now the bosses at many companies, more than 25% of the workforce is younger than 30. This means that Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are emerging as the generations to soon comprise the largest percentage of workers. Starting your career at a young age provides more time to build up your savings and create a retirement plan with a financial advisor. Some cities offer younger workers more opportunities for gainful employment and SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find out where younger employees make up the biggest percentage of the local workforce. Read more
Assembling enough money for a down payment is typically the largest hurdle to clear when securing a mortgage. The median home price in the U.S. is up 14% year-over-year, according to a November 2020… Read more
The number of Americans pulling in seven figures a year is on the rise. IRS data shows that less than three in 1,000 taxpayers earned over $1 million in 2018, up from less than two in 1,000 back in… Read more
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that computer and information technology jobs are expected to have grown by 11% from 2019 to 2029, adding 531,200 new jobs in cloud computing, big data… Read more
Dating in the time of COVID-19 isn’t easy. The pandemic has impacted Americans and the economy unevenly. And cities have shutdown and reopened at different rates. So depending on where you live, it… Read more
Housing costs eat up more of the average American’s salary each month than any other single expense, reaching about one third of average expenditures in 2019, according to data from the Bureau of… Read more
Social Security is a financial safety net for millions of retired Americans. Founded in the aftermath of the Great Depression, this social insurance program was designed to pay out monthly income for… Read more
Deciding to leave the home you own might be difficult given the precious memories you’ve made within its walls. But the process of selling it can be downright taxing, especially when the real estate… Read more
How far you live from work, school and other places you frequent can cost you time, money and health. The U.S. Census says that the average commute takes Americans 27.6 minutes each way. That’s more… Read more
Living by the beach can be expensive. Mortgage payments, property taxes and space can make your dream home unattainable. But if you know where to look, you can find a shore home without breaking the… Read more
President-elect Joe Biden announced this week that when he takes office on January 20, 2021, he wants to roll out the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help offset the impacts… Read more
The homeownership rate in America peaked at a little more than 69% in 2004 before falling to 63.7% in 2016, according to U.S. Census data. Despite the fact that it has rebounded to a little more than… Read more
For most people, working is inevitable: You need a job to afford your lifestyle. The trick, of course, is to find a balance where you can earn the money you need without spending all of your time in… Read more
In late December, President Donald Trump signed a bill sent to him by the U.S. Congress creating a $900 billion stimulus package to deal with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and… Read more
Following President Trump’s signing of the second coronavirus stimulus bill into law on Sunday evening, December 27, small businesses around the country may have another chance to apply for… Read more
On Sunday evening, December 27, President Trump signed into law the $900 billion second stimulus package for COVID-19 relief that will provide $600 checks to individuals, $300 in enhanced… Read more
The Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey shows that during the first week of December 2020, business expectations were depressed nationwide. While less than 2% of small businesses have closed… Read more
Though the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in widespread fitness center closures, many Americans still want to stay as healthy as possible. Depending on the level of services and equipment required,… Read more
Manufacturing has a special place in the American story, but for the past few decades, this sector has been largely on the decline, impacting many workers and affecting decisions around things like… Read more
A tall, frosty glass of beer has proven welcome succor during the distressing COVID-19 pandemic: Through the first half of 2020, beer sales in the U.S. rose about 16% compared to the same period in… Read more
People choose where to live based on many factors – availability of jobs, location of family, and the weather all come into play for most folks. Something some Americans may not remember to take into… Read more
While women have certainly made strides in many areas of the business world, when it comes to entrepreneurship, a significant gender gap remains. Around 10.2% of women between ages 18 and 64 are new… Read more
About three in four American adults (73%) said they donated money to a charitable organization in the past year, according to an April 2020 Gallup poll. That’s a new record low, beneath even the… Read more
