Topic: Economic Education

Economic Education, Monetary Policy

Why the Record-High Stock Market Is Not Good News

– September 11, 2017

These lofty heights reflect easy money and a bubble just waiting to pop.

Economic Education

The Full Significance of Freedom

– August 11, 2017

Research Reports, 05/22/1956, Special Bulletin

Economic Education

Where Are We Going?

– August 7, 2017

Special Bulletin, June 1, 1950

Economic Education, Inflation, Sound Money

The Money Mirage

– August 1, 2017

Luring Businessmen, Savers, and Investors To Their Economic Deaths Including as a Supplement: Retirement and Estate Planning During an Age of Inflating

AIER Classics, Economic Education, Inflation, Sound Money

What Will Inflation and Devaluation Mean to You?

– July 25, 2017

By Donald G. Ferguson, Bion H. Francis, E. C. Harwood, Benjamin D. Manton, and Their Assistants on the Institute Staff Part I Where Does Money Come From, and What Is Inflation? Has the Danger of Inflation Passed? Part II Inflation’s Timing and Warning …

Economic Education, Research Briefs

Why Can’t Americans Save?

– December 27, 2016

Financial wellness has become a popular topic with policymakers, human resources departments, and the financial media. The concept is simple: Just as with physical health, financial wellness assesses your ability to support yourself into old age.

Economic Education

Is the Rydex S&P 500 Fund the Worst Mutual Fund in the World?

– July 28, 2016

It is generally a reasonable approach to invest in passively managed index funds because research has shown that actively managed funds have not shown a consistent ability to beat their indexes. But you’ve got to pay attention to the fees.

Economic Education

How Fear Helps Predict Stock Returns

– July 21, 2016

Stocks are well known for their high volatility. Stocks respond to financial, economic, and political events in real time. The recent Brexit vote, for example, caused a sharp drop in stock prices. But the U.S. stock market was able to rebound in several days. Going forward, it is certain that stock markets will be sensitive to events like the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meeting (July 26-27), the ongoing presidential election, oil shocks, and so on. But it is far from certain whether we can predict future stock returns. However, an index, called VIX, may surprise investors.

Economic Education, Free Markets

The Opposite of an Employee Benefit

– June 6, 2016

It seems employers are being encouraged to help their young employees spend their money as fast, or even faster, than they earn it. Some employers are taking the bait. Some even think it is a benefit to make employees loans, help pay them off, or be better at payday loans than payday lenders.

Economic Education

Can You Expect Your Money to Double in 10 Years?

– April 13, 2016

Sometimes when I do a back-of-the-napkin estimate about how much I’ll have saved in the future, I’ll use a handy formula known as the “rule of 72.” This rule says that if you divide 72 by your rate of return, the resulting number is roughly how many years it will take your money to double.

Economic Education

Investing: What You Know Might Hurt You

– March 30, 2016

By relying on familiarity as a proxy for a more thorough understanding of these generic medicines, consumers often overspend on name brand medicines. Trusting our intuition instead of relying on objective data can also lead us astray when it comes to investing.

Economic Education

Target Date Funds: In Defense of Investing Simplicity

– February 4, 2016

Target date funds are investment vehicles that have gained popularity with regular people but get mediocre marks from investment advisers. Offered by most fund families (Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity, etc.), they are frequently included as an offering in 401(k) plans. According to Morningstar, investors had about $700 billion in target date funds at the end of 2014, although their growth is slowing. There’s a lot to like about target date funds.