This is the inaugral edition of New & Noteworthy: United States. This week's installment includes new research on breadwinner moms, a report on the installment loan industry and a story about bulk buying as an investment technique and alternative to savings.
- ProPublica recently published an investigative report on the practices of the installment loan industry, specifically highlighting the effect of the loans on low-income borrowers and the regulatory issues facing lenders.
- Breadwinner Moms, a new report from Pew Research shows the percentage of married and single breadwinner mothers, and single, have grown in size in the past five decades. Of all households with children younger than 18, the share of married mothers who out-earn their husbands has gone up from 4% in 1960 to 15% in 2011 while the share of families led by single mothers tripled (from 7% to 25% during the same time period).
- Economist Russ Roberts joins NPR’s Uri Berliner in a trip through the wholesale market to explain the theory behind using bulk buying as an investment technique and alternative to savings. According to Roberts, low inflation rates of 1.7% still outpace the average savings account and if inflation rises in the near future, goods bought today could be worth more in the future often generating higher rates of returns than current investment options.
Editor’s Note: I’m going to assume that you are seeing plenty of AI content (news and papers, not AI slop, though I’m sure you’re getting plenty of that too) from other sources, so I’m trying to think hard about the marginal value that the faiV can provide. As far as I’ve gotten so far: a) make sure that directly AI-related content does not take up more than 2 of the 5 items, and b) try to focus specifically on the cybersecurity issue for financial inclusion. Beyond that, I’m open to feedback on the value you get from the faiV in relation to AI to help guide us in the future. On a different note, I’ll be making a brief cameo appearance at the e-MFP Inclusive Finance Conference to moderate the opening plenary. If you haven’t registered, do so and I hope to see you there! - Tim Ogden