Investing

• We are one year out from the stock market bottoming out. What has happened since then? (Irrelevant Investor)
• What is the bond market saying about inflation expectations? (NYT)
• Roblox IPO, like the company, was HUGE! (Investors.com). GMA aired a story today with warnings to parents about its dangers (surprise bills and bullying).

Economics

• New unemployment claims dropped below 700,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic (CNBC), but payments to millions of unemployed could be delayed as states reprogram their systems. (Yahoo)
• This commentary from the Cleveland Fed looks at labor market trends by race in the US between 2000 and 2020.
• How big a deal is it that a ship is blocking the Suez Canal? Very...(CNN) (BBC)

Equal Pay Day

• We hit “Equal Pay Day” today, which marks how long into the following year a woman needs to work to make the same amount as a man does in a year. (NBC)
• HerMoney looks are research out of Northwestern that suggests it may take 20 years for women to recoup the pandemic hit which increased the gender pay gap. (For more on the “She-cession, see the 3/13 EconExtra)

Pandemic

• 55% of people say they worry about hunger and homelessness in America during Pandemic Year 2. MarketWatch

Housing

• How should we view housing prices when interest rates are so low? (A Wealth of Common Sense)
• New homes are costing more to and taking longer to build as a result of the pandemic. Sales take a hit. (CNBC)
• Rents for the rich are going down. Rents for the poor are going up. (WAPO)

Taxes

• There were several headlines this week suggesting more should be done to collect more of the taxes actually owed to the government and how high income individuals avoid paying their taxes. (WSJ)

Paying for College

• A word of warning about income share agreements, particularly those offered to students at HBCUs. (NYT)

Insurance

• The ACA turned 11 this week and is gaining traction again thanks to an extended enrollment period for those who have lost coverage during the pandemic. (NYT)

About the Author

Beth Tallman

Beth Tallman entered the working world armed with an MBA in finance and thoroughly enjoyed her first career working in manufacturing and telecommunications, including a stint overseas. She took advantage of an involuntary separation to try teaching high school math, something she had always dreamed of doing. When fate stepped in once again, Beth jumped on the opportunity to combine her passion for numbers, money, and education to develop curriculum and teach personal finance at Oberlin College. Beth now spends her time writing on personal finance and financial education, conducts student workshops, and develops finance curricula and educational content. She is also the Treasurer of Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.