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Print Only Everyday Cents – Editorial CalendarA Newsletter for General AudiencesMarch 2012
The Wealth of Nations
A comparison of GDP per capita of eight nations (including the United States).
Avoiding Pesticides in Produce
Consumers who would like to avoid exposure to pesticides may be interested in a recent report that analyzed pesticide residues on 50 different fruits and vegetables. Apples were the most contaminated of all fresh foods tested by the USDA. Knowing which varieties tend to have the highest pesticide levels could help readers decide whether to buy organic.
Learning to Haggle Over Health Care
A larger percentage of household incomes is being devoted to health care. Becoming a more informed consumer may help reduce medical bills. Here are a few tips that could help readers save money while pursuing better health.
Messy Math and Other Tax Mistakes
It normally takes about six to eight weeks for taxpayers to receive a refund on their tax returns, but only three weeks if the return was filed electronically. Here are a few of the most common errors the IRS finds on taxpayer forms.
How Much Does That Bundle of Joy Cost?
The total cost for an average middle-income family to raise a child born in 2010 through age 17 has grown to $286,860, according to a USDA study.
Plus...
Raising an avid reader and reasons to consider having a will for estate planning.
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February 2012
The Honeymoon May Be Over
Who’s in charge of the family finances? It turns out that 53% of men think they are the sole decision-maker, while 73% of women say they share the responsibility equally with their partners.
Oil Prices and Your Wallet
Many people don’t know that a $1 drop in the price of crude typically lowers the retail price of gas by about 2.4 cents per gallon. Winter home heating costs may also depend on fluctuating crude oil prices. Here's a quick look at how swings in oil prices can affect the average consumer and the overall economy.
Saving Your Child's Smile from Youth Sports
Kids who play organized sports have more than 3 million teeth knocked out each year, with baseball and basketball players suffering the most injuries. This article provides guidance on protecting young athletes and what to do when a tooth is lost or damaged.
Dealing with the Odds of Disability
Adults have a 1 in 5 chance of becoming disabled for a year or more during their working years. At a time when many employers are cutting back on long-term disability coverage, it may be worth considering an individual disability income policy.
Does Money Buy More Happiness?
The Happiness Index attempts to measure life satisfaction by calculating the answers of survey respondents who strongly agree with certain positive statements and strongly disagree with negative ones. As one might expect, people in the highest income bracket were happiest, but it's somewhat surprising that the least happy group falls in the second-highest earnings bracket.
Plus...
Benefits of a caffeine boost; anti-inflammatory benefits of chocolate.
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January 2012
Teens Take Recession’s Lessons to Heart
Young Americans have learned the importance of having a savings cushion — and gained an appreciation of how hard their parents work — since the economic downturn began.
Energy-Saving Lights Take Center Stage
Incandescent light bulbs are scheduled to start disappearing from stores in 2012, replaced by energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) options.
Investing in a College Education
A recent study concluded that the long-term benefits of a four-year college degree are equivalent to an investment with a 15.2% average annual return. Because the upfront cost of a college degree is substantial, families may want to start saving as early as possible to help their kids pay for college.
What to Expect from the Economy in 2012
Here’s a review of 2012 GDP growth projections and unemployment based on surveys from the National Association for Business Economics and the Blue Chip consensus as well as reports from the Congressional Budget Office and the White House.
Facts from the Latest Census
It took some time for the government to sort through all the 2010 Census data, but some interesting trends have started to emerge related to population growth by region, the age when men and women marry, and the proportion of households with children.
Plus...
Foods that may be making Americans fat and how TV may be teaching kids to wish for fame.
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December 2011
Festive Isn't Free
Average holiday spending reached almost $700 per gift giver in 2010. An accompanying graphic unwraps this figure — showing gift amounts for family, friends, co-workers, and amounts spent on items such as greeting cards, food, and decorations.
Time to Adjust Your Tax Withholding?
The average tax refund was around $3,100 in 2010, which means taxpayers loaned the government a lot of money for many months without earning any interest in return. It’s nice to get a refund, but it might make more sense for some people to increase their take-home pay. Accompanying illustration shows how taxpayers plan to use their expected refunds.
Watch for Signs of Smartphone Addiction
More than 35% of American adults now have smartphones. Unfortunately, as a result of a growing dependence on such gadgets and their engaging apps, psychologists say they are seeing some people who are more inclined to interact with their phones than with people.
Traditional or Roth: Deciding Which IRA Might Make Sense for You
Workers who want to save more for retirement may have a choice between two types of tax-advantaged individual retirement accounts. This article compares the features of traditional and Roth IRAs.
Most Workers Likely to Get Small Raises
According to a closely watched compensation survey, 97% of U.S. employers are planning to increase salaries for workers in 2012. The expected base pay increase in 2012 is 3.0%, which compares with 2.7% in 2010.
Plus...
U.S. currency trends, strange home remedies that actually work, and how age affects brain size.
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November 2011
Many More Bytes Ahead
Internet traffic has been measured in exabytes per month since 2004, but monthly use is likely to surpass a zettabyte (1 sextillion bytes) in 2016.
Is Social Security Really “Busted”?
In 2010, Social Security outlays exceeded tax revenues by $49 billion, and future deficits are projected. This article looks at how Social Security is funded, the impact of changing demographics, and why reforms may need to be implemented to meet the program’s long-term financial challenges.
Why Economists Watch Consumer Confidence
Economists, investors, businesses, and governments watch consumer confidence patterns because they provide insight on specific factors affecting consumer behavior. This article looks at two important monthly surveys that provide clues on the health and future direction of the national economy.
Life Insurance: Many Millions Go Uncollected
In 2009, life insurance companies had an estimated $1.3 billion in unclaimed life policy liabilities on their books, and more than $350 million in unclaimed life insurance proceeds were eventually transferred to the states. When beneficiaries aren’t aware that the policies exist, they can’t inform the insurance company when the policy owner has died. This underscores the need to review beneficiary designations periodically and to provide beneficiaries with the insurance company’s contact information.
Bumped Flyers Cashing In
A new rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines to increase compensation for travelers who are bumped from overbooked flights. Travelers are entitled to four times the value of the ticket (up to $1,300) if they are bumped and delayed by more than two hours from reaching their destinations.
Plus...
Miscellaneous stats, Turkey Day trivia, and a new government warning about formaldehyde.
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October 2011
Health-Care Costs Keep Climbing
The average annual cost of health care for a family of four has doubled in eight years, rising to $19,393 in 2011. Many workplace insurance plans now feature higher deductibles and co-insurance, so the typical employee's share amounts to nearly 40% of the total.
Could You Quit Using Credit?
Statistics suggest that controlling debt — or avoiding it altogether — has become more important to people since the Great Recession. In fact, 8 million Americans gave up using credit cards in the last year. This article offers a few tips for consumers who aspire to carry less debt.
Workers Falling Short on Retirement Savings
Fifty-six percent of workers say they have less than $25,000 put away for retirement, and 34% have withdrawn funds or borrowed from retirement accounts to pay for basic expenses. To improve their prospects, readers may want to consider increasing contributions to workplace plans and/or funding an IRA. Accompanying chart shows trends in the percentage of Americans who are confident about having enough money saved for retirement.
Waste Less and Save Plenty
It's estimated that about 25% of the food consumers buy is thrown out in the garbage each year. That amounts to a loss of $1,500 to $4,000 per family of four each year! Meanwhile, food prices are on the rise. Here are a few tips to avoid wasting valuable food and throwing away hard-earned grocery dollars.
More Consumers Try Sharing
“Collaborative consumption” is the growing trend of sharing resources to benefit more people and save money. The Internet, a challenging economy, and “greener” sensibilities have made it more common for people to forego buying expensive items they might need only occasionally and instead to trade, swap, or rent items, ranging from cars to designer gowns to textbooks.
Plus...
Miscellaneous stats and information bites.
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