Your Money

Hofstra University student Divya Singh found herself beset by a double whammy of bills from two of the costliest kinds of institutions in America — colleges and hospitals. After experiencing anxiety when her family had trouble coming up with the money f

College Tuition Sparked A Mental Health Crisis. Then The Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived

10:43am February 26, 2021

by Jordan Rau

A student sought counseling help after panicking over a tuition bill. A weeklong stay in a psychiatric hospital followed — along with a $3,413 bill. The hospital soft-pedaled its charity care policy.

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Power lines near Houston on Feb. 16. Some Texas residents are facing enormous power bills after wholesale prices for electricity skyrocketed amid last week's massive grid failure.

After Days Of Mass Outages, Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills

3:09pm February 21, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Texas allows companies to sell electricity at wholesale prices. When the price of electricity skyrocketed last week, that meant exorbitant bills for many residents who had been trying to save money.

FACT CHECK: Biden's Comments On Loan Forgiveness And Elite Colleges

2:03pm February 20, 2021

by Elissa Nadworny

The President said he doesn't want to forgive the loans of people who went to "Harvard and Yale and Penn." The real picture of student debt in the United States is much more complicated.

Ordinary items such as bicycles or hair extensions are gaining symbolic significance as we use them to project to a time when we can finally use them with others or show them off.

A Bicycle. A Trip. Or Just Pants: The Things We Buy When Pining For Normal Times

5:00am February 20, 2021

by Kat Lonsdorf

Even the most mundane purchases are becoming objects of hope as we crave the routines and experiences of daily life in this period of isolation.

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Economy

Behind The Pandemic Purchases We Won't Use Until Later

4:16pm February 19, 2021

by Kat Lonsdorf

What's the point of buying something now that you can't even use during the pandemic? Social scientists say there is value in anticipation — in giving yourself a concrete way to look forward.

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Debate Over Student Loan Forgiveness Hinges On 2 Numbers: $10,000 Vs. $50,000

5:28pm February 18, 2021

by Elissa Nadworny

The Biden administration is trying to figure out how much student debt to forgive and how to go about doing it — through executive action or legislation.

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Economy

'I Am Not A Cat ... I Am Not A Hedge Fund': Trader Roaring Kitty Tells Congress

5:10pm February 18, 2021

by Ryan Kailath

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing where members probed major players in the GameStop and meme stock story.

An undated photo of President Herbert Hoover, whose term as president ran from 1929 to 1933. He railed against short sellers after the market crash of 1929.

Economy

Wall Street Short Sellers: Hated For Centuries

4:08pm February 15, 2021

by Ryan Kailath

In recent weeks, short sellers were painted as the enemy, when hedge funds bet against stocks like GameStop. It set off a tug of war between small investors and Wall Street shorts. The hate isn't new.

Demonstrators call for a union and $15 minimum wage at a McDonald's in Charleston, S.C., in February 2020. The U.S. Senate has voted to prohibit an increase in the federal minimum wage during the pandemic.

Senate Says No To $15 Minimum Wage For Now, But Democrats Vow To Push On

12:18pm February 05, 2021

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 remains a priority of President Biden and Democrats after the Senate approved an amendment prohibiting a wage increase during the pandemic.

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Economy

GameStop Mania Likely Won't Happen Again. Here's How To Invest Wisely

7:20am February 05, 2021

by Chris Arnold

Some investors in a Reddit group made a pile of money off GameStop's wild ride. But it's unlikely something similar will happen again. Here's how you can make smart investments.

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