Interest Rate Shopping
As inflation continues its upwards hike, savvy consumers can respond to the increased interest rates by shopping for a better savings account option. Protected from the variability and risk of investing in the stock market itself, there are four great accounts that can provide a safe alternative for savings without allowing it to sit idly losing value due to inflation.Continue Reading
New on the Menu: Cultured Meat, With a Side of Space
Cultured meat is shining as the environmentally friendly, cruelty-free alternative to conventional meat. However, issues of ethics, price, and resources still stand in the way and show that this scientific milestone is far from perfect.Continue Reading
An Analysis of the Stock Market in a Post-Pandemic World
Among other factors, the distribution of some $5 trillion of pandemic stimulus likely compelled the Federal Reserve to enact monetary policy to counter inflation. If financial tightening persists, investors might be urged to consider the long-term implications for the stock market in today’s post-pandemic world.Continue Reading
The “Charging” World
Previously, electric cars were viewed as a poor class of vehicles to be looked down upon; with the release of the Model S, Tesla became a “gold standard” of automotive production and served as a model for other automakers to base their cars on. Tesla had beaten every automaker to the jump on stylish, efficient, and powerful cars, and other leaders of the industry were scrambling to compete.Continue Reading
Why Are Nordic Countries So Happy?
While the Nordic model may not be completely suitable for other countries, or even sustainable in the long-term, it can still inform our understanding of how other regions around the world can be improved. Key ingredients for its success thus far, such as social cohesion and low levels of inequality, are phenomena to study, and potentially emulate, that could benefit individuals worldwide.Continue Reading
Bitcoin ATMs: What, Why, and Where?
Different from exchange verification, ATM transactions tend to ask only for one’s ID and phone number — and sometimes only one’s phone number. Besides keeping one’s information more secure by asking for less of it, this lower verification threshold could help further democratize finance, allowing entry for those unable to create an exchange, brokerage, or even bank account.Continue Reading
Can Central Banks Justify Their Newfound Love?
Macroeconomic theory suggests that without any outside intervention, the macroeconomy will self-adjust and return to its long-run state after short-term shocks. The decision for policymakers thus boils down to a cost-benefit analysis taking into account factors like intertemporality and risk tolerance — they can either wait and allow the economy to adjust organically, or sink resources into actively trying to stabilize the economy, taking on the risk of further destabilizing it.Continue Reading
The History of AI in Economic Research, written by AI
The history of using AI in Economic Research is a modern but exponentially-improving field.Continue Reading
Let’s “Be Real” About BeReal
Summer 2022 saw another new app come onto the mainstream social media scene: BeReal. Over this summer, the download count on the app store for BeReal jumped from 7.67 million in April of this year to over 53 million by the beginning of October. People were eager to share their exciting, depressing, and mundane summer moments in real-time, and this app offered just the method to do so.Continue Reading
OPEC & The Case for American Energy Independence
As the world reels from OPEC’s announcement of an unprecedented petroleum production cut, let’s take a few moments to examine OPEC and its role, as well as how America can protect its national and consumer interests by reducing its dependence on foreign fuel sources.Continue Reading