Combating Health Care Costs Through Data Integration and Cost Driver Identification
It’s news to no one that health care costs continue to burden consumers and employers of all sizes. Premiums rise without commensurate returns in improved access, quality, and meaningful outcomes. Instead, tensions arise where employers are tempted to shift more cost to employees. Findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2018 Employer Health Benefits Survey show that the average prem...
Stumped by the Stock Market Slump? Start by Picturing a Used Car Dealership
Stocks have been slumping on a variety of concerns, from President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with China to worries about an economic slowdown and rising interest rates. Given the many factors driving shares up or down on any day or week, it’s hard to make sense of what’s happening on Wall Street. Based on my many years of experience teaching and writing about financial markets and...
Save Money When Traveling Abroad by Thinking Like an Economist
A record number of tourists and business travelers visited a country other than their own in 2017, and this year is already on pace to exceed that tally. One thing you definitely need when traveling abroad besides a passport is local currency, such as euros in Europe, yen in Japan or rubles in Russia. In the past, travelers would typically withdraw what they need from an ATM in the count...
Good Use of a Year-End Bonus
Spending Money isn’t a Bad Thing, but Spend Mindfully Many companies earmarked 2018 year-end bonuses this past fall – well before the markets reversed course. As such, you may find yourself fortunate: You got a year-end bonus for 2018. Shelve for a moment your visions of exotic trips and instead evaluate how to make the most of this extra money. Your year-end bonus remains taxable income...
