Investment

• Retirement account balances on the rise, as are 401k “Millionaires.” (Yahoo Finance)
• The pandemic seemed to be driving the market this week: soaring when promising vaccine results were announces, then fell back as case numbers continue to spike. (Yahoo Finance)
• It is going to be a big year for consumer tech IPOs. (CNBC) Instacart is one of many companies planning an IPO in coming months. (Fox Business)

Economics

• Unemployment claims moving in the right direction, but still very high. (USA Today)
• October Consumer prices showed largest monthly gain since March. (CNBC)
• Home prices are increasing all across the US as folks clamor for more space with a tight supply. (WSJ-subscription)
• What will a Covid vaccine mean for the housing market? Will mortgage rates inch back up? Will more houses become available? Will demand stay high? (MarketWatch)

Pandemic Labor Market (and Taxes)

• Deutsche Bank Research suggests a new tax scheme where those who can work from home are taxed to subsidize those who cannot. (BBC)

Budgeting

• Online grocery shopping now allows payment with SNAP benefits. (USA Today)
• People’s grocery shopping habits have evolved through the course of the pandemic: with the staples covered they are moving to premium groceries. (CNBC)

Student loans/Bankruptcy

• The New York Times (subscription) takes a hard look at the process of filing for bankruptcy to discharge student loans and the aftermath of a “successful” attempt.
• Forbes describes the potential for student loan relief in a new administration, including pros and cons of such relief.

Education

• The Wall Street Journal print version today includes an education section entitled “The Future Of Everything.” This article on rethinking higher ed is just one of the interesting articles.

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