Economics

• First quarter GDP tumbled 4.8%, the biggest drop since 2008. How bad will the second quarter be? (Marketwatch)
• WAPO’s Michele Singletary explains what you may need to do if you haven’t received your stimulus check yet.

Federal Reserve

• Bankrate.com recaps the readout from this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
• If you want to watch Chairman Powell’s news conference, here is a link: (CNBC)

Unemployment

• The unemployment picture isn’t pretty (another 3.8 million filed this week), and the numbers may still be understated given states’ inability to handle the volume of claims. (NPR)
• Gearing back up may be challenging for some businesses as unemployment benefits maybe higher than wages previously earned at low-paying jobs. (CNN)
• USA Today has a helpful Q&A on unemployment benefits.

Investing

• Here is a wrap-up of the market for the week and month of April. (Yahoo Finance) 
• Are you thinking the stock market doesn’t seem to reflect what is happening in the world? The Irrelevant Investor summarizes the recent movement.
• Economist Gary Shilling looks back to 1929 to form his expectations for the future. (MarketWatch)

Higher Education

• It’s May 1—historically, College Decision Day—but not in this historic year. (Inside Higher Ed 1)
• Colleges could lose 20% of their students this fall. (Inside Higher Ed 2)
• CARES act earmarks $1.4B for institutions serving minority populations. (Inside Higher Ed 3)
• You may be able to negotiate for more financial aid for next year due to the pandemic.  CNBC explains how/why. (Hat tip to Julius Prezelski for this one)

Real Estate

• Will cities become less attractive after this pandemic? (Axios) (USA Today)
• Here is what is happening with mortgage rates. (MarketWatch)

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