A recent survey found that working households experiencing financial strain due to the pandemic have not been inclined to make withdrawals from their 401(k)s to help make ends meet. In fact, the vast majority haven’t even changed their rate of contributions. Instead, these households are relying on the “old standbys” of surviving during economic decline:…

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During the U.S.’s initial spring lockdown, the weather was rather temperate in most areas of the country. By the time COVID-19 outbreaks started becoming more rampant nationwide, summer was in full swing. This made for uncomfortable conditions in terms of social distancing guidelines. For example, the pandemic forced hundreds of restaurants to seat more patrons…

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We’ve learned a lot about infectious diseases this year, as well as how to adapt our lifestyles in response to a pandemic. It will be interesting to see if and how U.S. businesses adjust their operational models to account for the potential for future pandemics or other catastrophic events.   According to the employment-population ratio,…

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Overall, the U.S. residential real estate market has held up fairly well so far during the global pandemic. Industry experts say that the current economic decline is expected to affect retirement a bit differently than the Great Recession, largely due to housing prices remaining strong in many areas of the country.1   One reason is…

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If the U.S. health-care sector was a separate country, it would be the fourth largest economy in the world when measured by gross domestic product. Currently, the nation spends an average of $3.5 trillion annually on health care, more than Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom combined.1  …

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Colleges all over the country have introduced incoming freshmen to orientation online, an entirely different experience. The online format offers several advantages in that more information can be presented and web pages bookmarked for future reference. This may be preferable to the barrage of information students normally receive during a seemingly rushed one-to-two-day orientation. However,…

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The World Health Organization recently reported that while some countries have made effective inroads to contain COVID-19 within their borders, the pandemic is still well on the rise throughout the world.1   Perhaps one of the most debilitating impacts of today’s global economy is that one country’s problem is now every country’s problem. Because business…

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a struggle around the world, and the United States is no exception. It is worth looking at individual factors to gauge just where we stand now.   The foremost concern is how the U.S. is weathering the pandemic. Initially, the crisis was concentrated in larger urban areas, which makes sense.…

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