When you get your first job, you’re probably not thinking about retirement. But if you start planning for it right away, building up enough wealth to live comfortably in retirement will be much easier. So how do you get started and what are the similarities and differences among the most common investment options? Radio America’s Annie Lauderback reports.
Retirement Investment Options
Posted in Budgeting, Consumer Issues, Credit, Economics, Inflation, Savings and Investing, Video
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Buy Now Pay Later
You see an item that you really want to buy but the price is just too much for you to spend right now. So that means you have to save and wait to buy it another day, right? Not necessarily. As Radio America’s Sophia Hayes reports, the concept of Buy Now Pay Later allows you to get what you want right away and spread out the payments. But it does come with some risks you need to know about.
Buying vs. Leasing A Car
You’re tired of that old clunker and are ready for a nicer and more reliable vehicle. But should you buy a new car or look for a used one? Or is leasing the smarter choice? It can be a tough decision, especially with the costs of each option rising a lot in recent years. Radio America’s Annie Lauderback walks us through the pros and cons of each of these options and explains why keeping a strong credit score is important no matter what you choose.
Posted in Budgeting, Consumer Issues, Credit, Economics, Inflation
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ESG Investing Explained
For a long time, investment firms had one overarching goal: to make their clients as much money as possible. But Environmental, Social and Governance investing, or ESG, factors other issues into which companies it will invest your money. Those factors include a company’s carbon footprint and its commitment to diversity and other social causes. Different agencies then rate companies for their performance in these areas. But what is the impact of including these other factors into financial decisions? Radio America’s Erika Kyba explains how ESG became such a huge influence on investing so quickly, why the ratings can be very confusing, and what it all means for your bottom line.
Posted in Business, Economics, Savings and Investing, Video
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Shrinkflation, Skimpflation, Tipflation, Junk Fees and Food Delivery Apps
It seems like almost everything is more expensive than it was just a couple of years ago. Inflation forces us to pay more as our dollars are worth less. But those higher prices come at us in several different ways. Radio America’s Sophia Hayes explores the many different strategies that companies use to pass along their rising costs along to you.
Dynamic Pricing
You’ve probably noticed that using a rideshare option during rush hour is more expensive than if you do it when traffic is light. And your local toll roads also charge more when nearby routes are clogged up. This is known as dynamic pricing. But how does it work? What other areas of life do we see this? And is this a fair way to set prices or is this predatory behavior? Radio America’s Erika Kyba investigates.
AI Is Impacting the Labor Force
By now, you’ve probably heard of Chat GPT. It’s likely the best known and most popular application of artificial intelligence, or AI. The more we hear about AI, the more we realize that it could revolutionize many aspects of our lives. It’s no different when it comes to jobs. Artificial intelligence is able to complete many tasks almost instantaneously that would require hours or even days for humans to finish. So how will the expected explosion of AI impact the labor force in this country and around the world? What kind of jobs will be lost and which ones will likely be created? And how soon will all of this happen? Radio America’s Anneke Gunderson finds the answers and more.
Savings Interest Rates
One of the greatest incentives to put money into a savings account is knowing that your money will grow thanks to interest that accumulates over time. But depending on what’s happening in the economy, the interest rates on savings can vary. So how are interest rates for savings accounts calculated? What economic conditions can force them to go up and down? And how do bonds impact interest rates? Radio America’s Wallace White explores these questions and more.