Finance

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Americans' Financial Struggles, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Virtual Schools: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 18, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on Americans' ongoing financial struggles, how we can learn from the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, why virtual schools may be here to stay, and more.
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Data Privacy
commentary
Your Personal Information Could End Up in the Hands of Foreign Investors
Marcus Dillistone, Ryan Andrew Brown, Alina I. Palimaru, Michael Schwille @MichaelSchwille
Dec 16, 2020
Inside Sources
If you've ever rented a property, you may have wondered what happens to the sensitive information on your application. Recent concerns over the foreign harvesting of personal information for questionable purposes should worry everyone.
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Market Regulation
commentary
Too Interconnected to Fail
Jonathan William Welburn @jwwelburn, Aaron Strong
Aug 22, 2020
Wall Street Journal
The 2007–08 financial crisis made regulators and lawmakers acutely aware that some financial institutions had become too big to fail. The next big economic crisis may arise outside the financial sector, in highly networked companies that are too interconnected to fail.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
What to Watch to Understand the Sino-Iranian Relationship
Colin P. Clarke, Mollie Saltskog
Aug 13, 2020
Lawfare
Beijing and Tehran are in the process of finalizing an ambitious partnership covering a range of security and economic issues. The United States should not overreact to shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, and should instead keep an eye out to assess the evolution of the relationship and take stock of what is delivered instead of what is merely promised.
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Personal Savings
commentary
A Tale of Two Americas
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_
Jul 9, 2020
RealClearPolicy
Economic pain in the United States is obvious and palpable everywhere except in the stock market. This spotlights inequality that has been increasing for decades. Undoing disparities will require firm policy commitment over many years.
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Residential Housing
commentary
From Lockdown to Locked Out: Coronavirus and the Looming Crisis in Rental Housing
Alina I. Palimaru, Jason M. Ward, Amy L. Shearer, Marcus Dillistone
Apr 30, 2020
Dallas Morning News
Housing security is vital to individual and collective well-being. It's also a key component in the nation's economic performance. The looming coronavirus eviction crisis suggests the need to address the systemic problem of housing affordability and security now.
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Economics
commentary
The Second Wave of COVID Consequences
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist, Jeffrey B. Wenger
Apr 24, 2020
The RAND Blog
Economists closely watch measures of consumer confidence because they are highly predictive economic indicators. New consumer data reveals likely long-term and prolonged economic fallout.
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Economic Policy
commentary
The Danger of Converting a Health Crisis into a Financial Crisis
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_, Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Jonathan William Welburn @jwwelburn
Apr 13, 2020
CNN
The impulse to do something to help businesses right now is well-intended, but lending to companies that were highly leveraged pre-crisis is a risky bet. Assistance could be best directed toward sound enterprises that are likely to survive and contribute to boosting the economy in the coming years.
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Politics and Government
blog
Shutdown, Hezbollah, Border Wall: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 15, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on Americans' financial fragility, Hezbollah in Venezuela, assessing the effectiveness of a border wall, and more.
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Personal Savings
commentary
What the Shutdown Revealed About the Fragility of American Life
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_
Feb 11, 2019
RealClearPolicy
The government shutdown highlighted the lack of resilience many suffer from when they encounter unexpected economic events. The median American family has been losing ground for decades. Policy responses to address this situation will be complex and difficult, but are much needed.
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Adult Populations
commentary
What Keeps Millennials Awake at Night Could Change Over Time
Marek N. Posard @mnposard, Jennifer Kavanagh @jekavanagh, Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Jul 30, 2018
United Press International
Millennials are less worried than baby boomers about national security topics and more worried about kitchen table issues, such as making ends meet each month and paying off debts. But this may have less to do with the fact that they are millennials and more to do with the fact that millennials are young.
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Finance
commentary
Environmental Impact Bonds May Not Bear Fruit for Green Investors
Aaron Strong, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston
Nov 26, 2017
Zilient
Investors may be willing to accept a lower return for socially responsible investments. But environmental impact bonds may not be the best way to leverage these investment possibilities.
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Russia
commentary
Covert Influence Is the New Money Laundering
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Nov 6, 2017
TechCrunch
Anti-money laundering laws provide lessons for combating covert influence operations, such as Russian meddling in the U.S. election. These laws could be adapted for online media models that do not require users to be paid customers.
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Employment and Unemployment
commentary
Why More Young Workers Are Relying on Financial Help from Parents
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Aug 31, 2017
The RAND Blog
As today's young adults grapple with a difficult job market, high tuition costs, and rapidly rising rents, parents are increasingly providing financial support and other forms of assistance.
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European Union
commentary
The European Commission Is Struggling to Demonstrate 'Value for Money'
Ben Baruch @Ben_Baruch_, Tom Ling
Jun 26, 2017
New Europe
Great work is happening as a result of EU spending and programmes, particularly around democracy, rule of law and human rights. To make sure the trend continues, it is important for the populace to understand the value for money of this work.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Is College Worth the Expense? Yes, It Is
Rafiq Dossani
May 22, 2017
Inside Sources
Many American students struggle with the soaring cost of higher education. And for many college students, debt can have severe negative implications. But on balance, the benefits of a college degree appear to outweigh the costs.
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Banking and Finance Legislation
commentary
Let's (Not) Play Games with Dodd-Frank
Jonathan William Welburn @jwwelburn, Raffaele Vardavas, Zev Winkelman
May 4, 2017
The Hill
Dodd-Frank, the 2010 financial reform law, is now itself the target of reform. Those involved with the overhaul could draw inspiration from an unlikely source: video games. A simulation game could help predict the effects of changes to regulations—and avoid high-stakes missteps.
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Court Staffing and Funding
commentary
Discount Justice: Fiscal Austerity and State Courts
Kathryn Kuznitsky
Apr 18, 2017
Inside Sources
Budget cuts at the state court level can mean courthouse closures, hiring freezes and layoffs, leading to longer wait times for the public. Educating the public about the role and importance of the state courts is key to preventing more budget cuts in the future.
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Personal Finance
commentary
We Still Know Little About Financial Well-Being
Marco Hafner, Christian Van Stolk
Feb 20, 2017
HRZone
There is a clear link between UK employees being concerned about their finances and negative health and well-being. The challenge for researchers is that financial well-being is hard to measure.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Trends in Inequality and the World's Eight Richest Men
Ernesto F. L. Amaral, Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice
Feb 10, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
While Oxfam reports have done a good job of bringing attention to the problem of inequality, they may lead the public and policymakers to believe that global inequality has been rising instead of falling. Global inequality has actually been on the decline while inequality within the developed world is increasing.
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Economics
commentary
Book Review: 'Bourgeois Equality'
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Sep 30, 2016
The Weekly Standard
In Bourgeois Equality, economist and historian Deirdre McCloskey advances the theory that ideas — not capital, institutions, innovation, R&D, tax policy, monetary policy, or regulatory policy — are the propelling force behind economic and societal growth.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Central Bank Perversity
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Sep 13, 2016
The International Economy
Aggressive monetary policy has negative effects on retirees, on income inequality, and on market stability both domestically and globally.
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Retirement and Retirement Benefits
commentary
You're Never Too Young to Plan for Retirement
Jeremy Burke, Angela A. Hung
Sep 2, 2016
The RAND Blog
Saving early for retirement is critical, but it's also important to stay on track during job changes. Younger workers tend to change jobs often, and if they cash out of their plans with each position, that can affect their long-term savings.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Fixing Inequality of Opportunity
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice
Jul 6, 2016
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
Research has fueled concerns about how income inequality drives inequality of opportunity. Commonsense approaches such as improvements in education and access to quality health care have been shown to provide young people with better opportunities.
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Economics
commentary
China's Yuan as a Reserve Currency: Boon or Bane for the Dollar?
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Jun 3, 2016
The Weekly Standard
Establishing a system in which two reserve currencies compete with each other to affect global decisions about reserve holdings may lead to greater financial stability than the present dollar-dominated system.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Zero Interest, Greater Inequality?
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Nov 2, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Low interest rates mandated by the Federal Reserve may have had and possibly continue to have adverse effects on income inequality. Those who argue for continuing near-zero short-term interest rate policy should be cognizant of this.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Do Young 'Elites' Favor Income Redistribution?
Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard, Katherine Grace Carman @KGCarman
Oct 8, 2015
The RAND Blog
Young 'elites' -- employed Americans who are 40 or younger, with high household incomes and graduate degrees -- and especially Democratic elites have a strong preference for income redistribution.
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Health Behaviors
commentary
Paying People to Change Behaviour in the UK: Lessons from Latin America
Christian Van Stolk
Mar 30, 2015
The RAND Blog
Policymakers in Western countries seeking new policy levers to tackle costly lifestyle behaviors in the age of austerity may do well to take up programs based on cash incentives. Recent analysis of conditional payment programs in Latin America highlights some useful lessons.
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Economic Policy
commentary
Growth Versus Equality: Striking the Right Balance
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Jan 30, 2015
The Weekly Standard
There's a difficult trade-off between income equality and the growth that comes from successful innovation. But one doesn't have to overwhelm the other.
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Cybercrime
commentary
After a Year of Major Hacks, 2015 Resolutions to Bolster Cyber Security
Lillian Ablon
Dec 31, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
With numerous data breaches and emerging software vulnerabilities, 2014 was the year the hack went viral. But realizing a few New Year's resolutions in 2015 could help defenders make strides in protection, tools, and techniques to gain the edge over cyber attackers in years to come.
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Cyber Warfare
commentary
Preventing Cyber Attacks: Sharing Information About Tor
Daniel Gonzales @gonzadan
Dec 17, 2014
The RAND Blog
While Tor has many benefits, it is also used to hide criminal activity online such as the recent cyber attacks against JPMorgan Chase and Sony Pictures. The U.S. government should share the IP addresses of Tor network nodes with U.S. critical infrastructure and financial firms so that future cyber attacks could be prevented.
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Politics and Government
commentary
New Survey Data Indicates Increasing Polarization in the Ways Democrats and Republicans View the Role of Government in Reducing Income Inequality
Katherine Grace Carman @KGCarman, Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard
Oct 9, 2014
The RAND Blog
Today, Democrats are more than six times likelier than Republicans to believe the U.S. government should play a role in reducing income inequality. This is not due to differences in age, gender, education, or income distributions among the two parties.
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Financial Decision Making
commentary
Are Youth Putting Off Marriage Because of Their Student Loan Debt?
Robert Bozick
Jun 26, 2014
The RAND Blog
Women with higher loan balances may be less likely to get married than their peers with lower or no loan balances. But as time goes on, young adults adjust to their post-college financial situation and eventually get promotions, earn raises, obtain other assets, and get married.
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China
commentary
A Liberated Yuan Is Likely to Fall
Charles Wolf, Jr.
May 21, 2014
The Wall Street Journal
Some critics claim that the People's Bank of China is contriving to weaken the yuan's value to promote Chinese exports and stimulate the country's lagging growth. But the yuan's true value may be lower than some popular estimates.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
The Strategy Behind China's Aid Expansion
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Oct 9, 2013
The Wall Street Journal
Between 2001 and 2011, China's pledged foreign aid was $671 billion. In all regions and countries, China's assistance focuses on the development of natural resources, principally energy-related (coal, oil, and gas). Both parties presumably benefit from China's aid but both are also exposed to added risks and hidden costs.
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Affordable Care Act
commentary
Understanding the Affordable Care Act
Sebastian Bauhoff, Katherine Grace Carman @KGCarman, Amelie Wuppermann
Oct 2, 2013
The Health Care Blog
One of the chief aims of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of insurance coverage to individuals who at present either cannot afford it or choose not to purchase it. Unfortunately, many Americans lack the financial literacy needed to navigate the numerous and complex options thrust upon them by the ACA.
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International Economic Relations
blog
New RAND Study Examines Chinese Economic Assistance to Other Countries
Sep 19, 2013
With the world's second largest economy, China has the capacity to engage in substantial programs of economic assistance and government-sponsored investments in 93 emerging-market countries.
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Cybersecurity
commentary
The Real Cyber Threat
Mark Sparkman
May 21, 2013
CNN
The fact is that the United States needs to gear up for the coming era of cyber threats — and start by ensuring its financial flank is not catastrophically compromised, writes Mark Sparkman.
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Banking and Finance Legislation
blog
How to Fix Too-Big-to-Fail
Dec 28, 2012
At RAND's Politics Aside event, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, former U.S. pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, and M&T Bank CEO Robert Wilmers talk with Reuters' Rob Cox about the best ways to tackle the problematic too-big-to-fail doctrine.
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Banking and Finance Legislation
blog
Feinberg: Financial Regulation Paralyzed by Politics
Dec 4, 2012
During a panel discussion at RAND's Politics Aside event, former U.S. pay czar Kenneth Feinberg says politics has seeped into the financial regulatory process, causing it to grind to a halt.
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United States
commentary
Questions After the First U.S. Bank Takeover by a Chinese State-Controlled Company
Charles Wolf, Jr., Brian G. Chow, Gregory S. Jones, Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
May 15, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
In considering foreign application to acquire U.S. companies, the United States needs to consider both risks as well as benefits in both defense and economic dimensions, write Charles Wolf, Jr., Brian Chow, Gregory Jones, and Scott Harold.
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Globalization
commentary
Capitalism Still Works: Our Economy Will Recover Because We Are Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_
Sep 17, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
While soul-searching and even self-loathing are inevitable during a crisis, this is no time for America to shy away from a capitalist system that has produced decades of economic growth, writes Krishna Kumar.
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commentary
The Falling Dollar: A Silver Lining for Pittsburgh
Barry Balmat, Keith Crane
May 8, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
Doom or Boom?
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Dec 2, 2002
Wall Street Journal
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
The Buy-Side Revolution
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Sep 27, 2002
Wall Street Journal
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
Want to Help Africa? Stop Farm Subsidies
Carl Bildt
Jun 18, 2002
Wall Street Journal
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
Tax Fairness Is in the Eye Of the Beholder
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Apr 17, 2001
Wall Street Journal
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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