This week’s list covers the requisite interest rate discussions, this week moving to Europe, and update on student loans, some important retirement information, and several other interesting reads.

Economics

• For this week’s article on the recession yes/no debate, read why Goldman Sachs economists think the Fed can pull off a soft landing. MarketWatch
• The ECB (European Central Bank) is fighting even higher inflation in Europe, and debate about rate hikes is similar to the US debate about the Fed. Reuters discusses the questions the European markets were asking in anticipation of the rate hike this week, and Axios covered what ended up being a 75 basis point hike as the ECB plays “catch-up.”
• The Euro drops to new lows this week. (Reuters)
• Back in the US, Chair Jerome Powell signals that interest rates will remain high to fight inflation during a moderated discussion yesterday. (Boston Globe)
• Mortgage rates hit their highest level since 2008 this week. (Yahoo)
• According to a survey by the National Financial Educators Council, an alarming number of Americans have less than a month of emergency funds. (PRNewswire)

FinTech

• While aimed at wealth managers, this article researched the fintech firm SoFi and explains how broad their product offerings have become. (Investment News)

Cryptocurrency

• The bitcoin experiment in El Salvador, one year in, has been a flop. (Fortune)

Credit Management

• You might want to consider freezing your children’s credit after reading this. (HerMoney)

Paying for College

• Ron Lieber of the NYT gives his take on the cost of college and the student loan situation and recent executive action.
• What should you be doing to get ready for student loan forgiveness under the executive action, assuming no legal actions hold things up? CNBC has some answer.

Career

• Here is another piece on “quiet quitting,” which in other words can be described as prioritizing work-life balance. (Gallup)

Retirement

• This article does a great job of explaining how Social Security spousal and survivor benefits work. (investment News)
• And while we are at it, this article explains the Medicare decisions that must be made at 65. (Investment News)

Financial Literacy

• NEFE published a recap of the 2022 legislative actions across the country.

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.