There are currently more than 44 million borrowers owing approximately $1.6 trillion in student loan debt to banks and the government. In the United States alone, student loan debt is now the second highest consumer-debt category, behind only mortgage debt, making it greater than what’is owed on both credit cards and auto loans. Student loans Read more
Bowen Reports
Doing Good Can Go Bad: How to Be Effective in Your Charitable Giving
“The worth of a gift lies as much in the way it is offered as in its intrinsic value.” ― Aldous Huxley For most of us, good fortune is something to be shared. Supporting worthy causes makes the world a better place and is a source of self-improvement. Charitable giving is generally a part of Read more
Cliffhanger: What Will the Fed Do? What Is the Fed, Anyway?
Will they, or won’t they? June unemployment numbers looked better and fears of an imminent economic downturn are easing, seeming to dampen expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at the next meeting, which will be on July 30 and 31. The Fed leadership says a healthy economy does not need the stimulus Read more
Tariffs: Who Really Pays?
When the Trump administration claims that the tariffs they have imposed on China have brought money into federal treasury coffers, they are correct. However, they are incorrect when they say that money is coming from China. Because tariffs operate as a tax on imports, when the United States levies a tariff, it is the U.S. Read more
Time for Budgeting 101
Managing your money is always important. For new graduates making the move from classroom to workplace it’s an essential skill. The three main priorities of financial adulthood are paying down debt, building up emergency savings, and saving for retirement. (For more on this, see the Bowen Report “Personal Finance Tips for College Graduates”: https://bowenasset.com/personal-finance-tips-for-college-graduates/) An Read more
First-Quarter Economic Growth, But Devil is in the Details
Is the economy still growing? We believe that the answer is still “yes” — but that growth is slowing and the details in the first quarter and April of 2019 reveal warning signs. The GDP received a boost from inventories, exports Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% in the first Read more