- Where People Are Buying Second Homes – 2023 Edition
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 maintaining the property from a distance. And in a particularly volatile… read more…
- Most Affordable Travel Destinations This Holiday Season – 2022 Study
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 so far, travel spending for September 2022 has hit its highest ceiling since the pandemic. With prices up across the board with… read more…
- Airfare Rises More Than 20% Over the Quarter – November 2022 Study
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. With holiday travel around the corner, SmartAsset investigated the places where… read more…
- States With the Best Infrastructure – 2022 Edition
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 suggest that the average American loses roughly $3,300… read more…
- Airports With the Largest Price Increases – 2022 Study
The price of jet fuel has increased by roughly 110% between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022 and as passengers return to the skies, some of those costs are passed on to consumers. In fact, airline fares spiked by… read more…
- Best States for Women’s Healthcare – 2022 Study
According to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey for June 1 to June 13, 2022, a little over one in seven women report being in poorer health, and more challenges are afoot. Recent legal changes concerning abortion have restricted access to… read more…
- Best Community Colleges in America – 2022 Edition
No sector of higher education has been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than community colleges. While enrollment across all higher education institutions fell 5.1% between fall 2019 and fall 2021, public two-year colleges have suffered the steepest drop in enrollment during that time, falling by 13.1%, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse… read more…
- States Leading the Charge on Renewable Energy – 2022 Edition
Renewable energy will play a pivotal role in the world’s attempt to curb the effects of climate change. The landmark Paris Agreement signed by 196 countries seeks to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To do this, global emissions of carbon dioxide must fall 45% by 2030 and be virtually… read more…
- Colleges Where It’s Most Expensive to Be an Out-of-State Student – 2022 Study
The rising cost of a college education has been well documented over the last 30 years. In that time, average tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year universities has more than doubled, according to the College Board. However, in-state tuition still remains significantly more affordable than out-of-state tuition. In 2020-2021, average published tuition and… read more…
- Best States for Higher Education – 2022 Edition
A college degree is an important professional milestone that can boost your finances. According to data from Indeed.com, the average yearly earnings for someone with only a high school diploma is $37,024, while someone with a bachelor’s degree earns an average of $60,996. Keeping that in mind, SmartAsset crunched the numbers to identify and rank… read more…
- Hottest Vacation Home Markets in the U.S. – 2022 Edition
The low interest environment during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon for the vacation real estate market. While millions of Americans took advantage of low interest rates and bought their first homes, others capitalized on the cheap money and purchased vacation homes. Figures from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Database show that vacation homes… read more…
- Most In-Demand Jobs for Bachelor’s Degree Holders – 2022 Edition
In 2021, millions of Americans voluntarily left their jobs every month in what is now called the “Great Resignation.” Some were burnt out, while others quit to look for better pay or new careers. A total of 4.4 million people left their jobs in September alone, raising the quit rate to 3%, the highest it’s been… read more…
- Places Where People Are Refinancing Most – 2021 Study
Many homeowners were incentivized to refinance their homes after mortgage rates reached historic lows in 2020. And Freddie Mac data shows that this caused mortgage refinancing activity to hit its second-highest milestone since peaking in 2003. For a comparison, there were about $2.6 trillion in inflation-adjusted refinance originations for the year 2020, compared with $3.9 trillion in 2003. Though refinancing… read more…
- Metros Where People Owe More Than Their Homes Are Worth
The current residential real estate market in the U.S. looks nothing like it did just a few years back. While it was tough for homebuyers to find affordable housing in certain markets—take New York City or Los Angeles, for example—housing was still somewhat accessible in many other markets across the nation. That’s hardly the case… read more…
- Where It Pays Off to Buy a Long-Term Rental Property – 2021 Study
Owning real estate has traditionally been viewed as an effective way to hedge against inflation. The logic is simple: as the price of goods and services increases, so does property value. Like other types of real estate, rental properties stand to appreciate in value, but that’s hardly the only benefit of this asset class. Landlords… read more…
- States With the Best Infrastructure – 2021 Edition
On June 24, 2021, President Joe Biden reached an agreement with a group of bipartisan Senators for an infrastructure plan that will invest over $1.2 trillion in eight years on roads, water, electricity, broadband internet and other projects. Aimed at revitalizing the American economy, the bill, if passed, would be the largest long-term investment in… read more…
- Best Community Colleges in America – 2021 Edition
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 families to budget better and ultimately save more. According to data from the Census Bureau, although attendance at two-year institutions has declined slightly in recent years,… read more…
- Top States for Higher Education – 2021 Edition
Over the past decade, the cost of a college education in the U.S. has increased significantly. Accounting for inflation, data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) shows that prices for undergraduate four-year public and private institutions rose respectively by 22.84% and 21.20% between school years 2008-2009 and 2018-2019. Notably, however, public universities remain… read more…