Credit card debt in the US now tops $1 Trillion! This week’s reading list offers articles on a wide variety of personal finance topics, plus a couple of articles “just because.” Enjoy!

Economics

• If you are interested in reading more about inflation and the longer-run costs or it, try this commentary from the Cleveland Fed.
• This Vox article discusses the difference between inflation and price increases. Inflation is coming down, but prices stay up.
• The Actor’s strike appears to over—finally. (The Deadline)

Investing

• Do I-Bonds still make sense as a good investment? Looks like the answer is yes. (WAPO)
• Ben Carlson digs deeper into the wealth distribution data recently released from the NY Fed and has some interesting conclusions. (Wealth of Common Sense)

Taxes

• The IRS announced the 2024 tax brackets and deduction levels, and inflation has bumped them up. (CNBC)

Real Estate

• This NYT article does a good job of explaining the issue and potential changes to the real estate broker business following the big court ruling the previous week.
• Mortgage rates actually moved down for the first time in a while, sparking demand a bit. (CNBC)

Banking

• Why are banks suddenly closing the accounts of individuals and small businesses? (NYT)

Managing Credit

• One of the big headlines this week was that credit card balances jumped $158 billion dollars in the past year to $1.08 trillion. Delinquencies also rose, particularly among those 30-39 (student loans?). (CNBC)

Budgeting

• With Mint going away, what are your alternatives? (MarketWatch)
• Subscription health care? Video primary care? Amazon has a couple of options for you. (Forbes)

Fraud

• The Federal Reserve Board offers a guide to avoid fraud and scams.

Financial Literacy

• It probably comes as no surprise but a study revealed that GenZ wanted to talk about family finances earlier than older generations. (PRNewswire)

Just Because

• Read about testimony from the whistle blower on how META ignored warnings about the negative impact their platforms were having on teens. (CNN)
• What were the 200 best inventions of 2023? Here is a list from Time.

About the Author

Beth Tallman

Beth Tallman entered the working world armed with an MBA in finance and thoroughly enjoyed her first career working in manufacturing and telecommunications, including a stint overseas. She took advantage of an involuntary separation to try teaching high school math, something she had always dreamed of doing. When fate stepped in once again, Beth jumped on the opportunity to combine her passion for numbers, money, and education to develop curriculum and teach personal finance at Oberlin College. Beth now spends her time writing on personal finance and financial education, conducts student workshops, and develops finance curricula and educational content. She is also the Treasurer of Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.