Become a Patron! Back in April I wrote an overview of the state of the federal pandemic response, and said (optimistically, I thought), of expanded unemployed insurance benefits that, "What happens next depends on both our progress against the virus and the state of the economy. If we’ve beaten back the virus sufficiently, Republicans may allow the federal top-up to lapse … [Read more...] about Three questions to ask as the unemployment insurance fight enters its (abbreviated) endgame
Did the Paycheck Protection Program fail, and if so, why?
Become a Patron! While billions of dollars remain available to fund new Paycheck Protection Program loans, and some banks continue to accept applications, at this point it's fair to say that the program is at least entering its final act, and the debate over its success or failure has begun in earnest. I've written about PPP loans (and the sister program, EIDL) in the past, … [Read more...] about Did the Paycheck Protection Program fail, and if so, why?
Checking back in on the Long Game savings app
Become a Patron! Several years ago there was a brief flurry of online interest in an app called "Long Game." The flurry of online interest was presumably because of the easy referral bonus (there's still a bonus for referring people, though I'm not sure if the referee gets anything out of it). It also seems there are occasional increased portal payouts for opening an … [Read more...] about Checking back in on the Long Game savings app
Some time-sensitive thoughts on fall higher education enrollment
Become a Patron! Long-time readers know that one of my earliest recurring themes here on the blog was techniques to bring down the cost of higher education. Not by "applying for scholarships" or "getting good grades," but by manipulating the machinery of the financial aid system. With colleges and universities around the country announcing their decisions about whether … [Read more...] about Some time-sensitive thoughts on fall higher education enrollment
Five profitable things to do with low-interest loans
Become a Patron! I've written many times about my fondness for low-interest, and especially low-fee, balance transfer and cash advance credit cards, which allow consumers to borrow large — sometimes very large — sums of money for a fixed period of time and pay nothing to the bank if the loan is paid off by the end of the promotional period. This is a form of what I think … [Read more...] about Five profitable things to do with low-interest loans