What I’m Reading This Weekend (April 7-8)

This week's reads include an International Final Four of higher ed financing, going cashless, Spotify's entrance on the stock market, and some information about potential trade wars.  There are also some reads on the connection between health and wealth, and information for teachers on repaying your own student loans.  Happy reading, and happy weekend!

 Personal Finance

• We know payday lenders are bad….but not as bad as the bail bonds business.
• Have you noticed your favorite businesses going cashless?  How much cash do you carry? Read how David Gelles of the New York Times decided to give the 
• cashless lifestyle a try.
• Budgets do help--the trick is to make a good one  and FOLLOW IT!
• Unretirement? They had to come up with a word for those that retire and end up quickly back in the workforce.
• An International Final Four compares student loans and repayment programs in four countries and comes up with a winner.
  • Meanwhile NGPF's Sweet Sixteen is now down to just 2 fan favorites - Click here to vote on your fave! 

Investing

• Spotify – music industry disrupter now trying to do the same in the financial world with its “direct listing” instead of a traditional IPO.  Here is what happened on the first day of trade.
• Here is one for you fact checkers: the USPS makes money from Amazon (it’s all about marginal cost).  
• Tech sector updates: Zuckerberg responds to FB woes (now saying 87 million users’ data improperly shared), and Amazon, Google and privacy concerns. (I am no longer quite as excited about having Alexa work for me.)

The Economy

• This might be useful in coming weeks: background information on trade wars.
• Impending trade war with China-round 1- pork, fruit and 120+ other items; round 2-soybeans, cars and chemicals. Let the trade negotiations begin!
• Treasury proposing overhaul of the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act, making measures more objective and compliance easier.

Health (and Wealth)

• Looks like the America is struggling, regardless of the improving economy.
• Infographic - a global measure of wealth vs. happiness.
• They say money doesn’t buy happiness, but apparently, a sudden loss of wealth is bad for your health….very bad.
• Let’s finish this segment on a positive note: with a hopeful assessment of Gen Z.

For Teachers

• First West Virginia, now Oklahoma and Kentucky.  Teachers striking for a well-deserved wages, but the strikes are about more than paychecks.
• TEACH grants turning into loans? Hope this doesn’t happen to you.
  • More than 6 in 10 recipients of the TEACH Grant, created to attract instructors for high-need subjects in low-income schools, have seen those grants convert to loans after they fail to meet eligibility standards, Department of Education report finds.
• Here is important information if you think you are following rules for public service loan forgiveness….the spending plan just passed included funds to help those that thought they were in compliance, but weren’t.
• Not most recent but important….compare your experience with this teacher’s experience helping his students with mental health issues: In High School, the Kids Are Not All Right.

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