Personal Finance

• Three interesting surveys hit the media this week:
  • CNBC looks at the Junior Achievement Teens and Economic Opportunity Survey.
  • JD Power has been running monthly surveys on Consumer Financial Health, and Financial Brand looks at how some banks are responding to customer needs for information and guidance.
  • PRNewsWire looks at a Lending Tree survey that suggests 31% of people would rather go into debt than borrow money from a relative.
• We discuss combining finances in relationships from roommates to spouses. Not wishing this on anyone, but divorce happens too. Here is some advice for how to split up the assets in a divorce to avoid costly mistakes. (CNBC)

Economics

• Third quarter US household net wealth rose, thanks to home equity and stock market increases, but the increase is concentrated in the highest wealth segments. Household debt increased 5.6% in the same period. 
• Jobless claims jumped up again last week to the highest level since September. (CNBC1, CNBC2)
• This article drills down into the devastating unemployment picture for middle-class restaurant workers. (NYT-subscription)
• If you are up for a slightly longer read, or just a Fed geek like me, this Business Week article on Jerome Powell, describing him as “transformative,” is well worth a few minutes.

Investing

• Wells Fargo Investment Institute examined four scenarios to demonstrate the cost of panic selling during the pandemic. (MarketWatch)
• It’s been a big year for IPOs. Kelly Evans of CNBC reflects on what has been going on in this crazy “door cash,” including this week’s Door Dash IPO.
• The other big IPO this week was AirBnB, (Markets Insider) which really went crazy!

• Thanks to the Pandemic, ZOOM is BOOMING. What will happen to Zoom on the other side of the pandemic? (Vox)
• Mellody Hobson was names as non-executive Chair of the Starbucks board of directors. (UPI)

Financial Scams

• Read about the latest scam: “debt-parking fraud.” (NYT-subscription)

About the Author