Losing Ignition Losing Ignition
Nation Writing Contest Winner: Students and workers pay the price in the decline of Detroit's automobile industry.
Sep 20, 2010 / Amanda Lewan
Books, Brilliance, or Burgers Books, Brilliance, or Burgers
Finding out that higher education and burger production have a disturbing amount in common.
Sep 20, 2010 / Deric Mendes
Gordon Gekko’s Wall Street Meets Elizabeth Warren Gordon Gekko’s Wall Street Meets Elizabeth Warren
Just as the sequel to Oliver Stone's 1987 classic hits theaters, Obama appointee Elizabeth Warren will take on a new generation of Wall Street swindlers.
Sep 20, 2010 / Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Poverty Nation Washington Built The Poverty Nation Washington Built
The massive job losses between 2008 and 2009 were surely the biggest factor in the record poverty numbers the Census just reported. But those harrowing months were neither the be...
Sep 17, 2010 / Kai Wright
Time for a Real Economic Debate Time for a Real Economic Debate
Fifteen million Americans are unemployed. Poverty is up. One in four homes is under water. It's time for a serious debate on the nation's economic direction.
Sep 16, 2010 / Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Soros Syndrome The Soros Syndrome
George Soros's gift of $100 million to Human Rights Watch doesn't come without strings attached.
Sep 15, 2010 / Column / Alexander Cockburn
After Summers Comes the Fall After Summers Comes the Fall
Lawrence Summers should be fired for the part he played in bringing about the financial crisis that cost so many Americans their jobs.
Sep 15, 2010 / Robert Scheer
Major Student Loan Mistakes, and Ways to Avoid Making Them Major Student Loan Mistakes, and Ways to Avoid Making Them
The economy's long nosedive has done more than raise unemployment rates and housing foreclosures—it's also contributed to a devastating increase in the amount of student debt. Following a recent Education Department report on debt repayment figures, Gawker compiled a list of the top ten universities for student debt, which is topped by NYU's staggering $659 million total. This year also marked the first time in history that outstanding student loan debt exceeded outstanding total credit card debt, with student loan debt nationwide increasing at a rate of about $2853.88 per second. It's a grim landscape for students who've borrowed money, and one that is rife with ways to exacerbate the amount owed. In light of this, Sarah Deveau has provided a helpful list of tips and practices to avoid via the San Francisco Chronicle. Highlights from the pieces, "The 6 Worst Student Loan Mistakes You Can Make" include smart warnings against tempting practices like falsifying information on a student loan application, spending loan money on non-essential purchases and missing payments. "Some experts suggest that your monthly student loan payment should be no more than 10% of your expected salary," Deveau writes. "Calculate your monthly loan payments based on a 10-year repayment schedule, including interest, the find out the average starting salary for your career choice. If your loan payments will be higher than 10%, look at reducing the amount you borrow, either through producing more income or switching to a less expensive program." The bottom line, she says, is this: A student loan is often the first large sum of money a young adult must manage themselves. Avoiding common money mistakes when it comes to financing your college education is crucial to graduating with only good debt, and as little of it as possible. Some of it seems fairly no-brainer, but Deveau lays it out in concrete, practical terms that should make a lot of sense—especially to students taking on loans for the first time.
Sep 10, 2010 / StudentNation / Carrie Battan
The Breakdown: How Can the Fed Help the Economy? The Breakdown: How Can the Fed Help the Economy?
In a major speech last month, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged to buy more longer-term securities if the economy continues to worsen. But will this benefit really tric...
Sep 10, 2010 / Chris Hayes
Wall Street Needs to Change, Not Obama Wall Street Needs to Change, Not Obama
While no one said that reforming Wall Street would be easy for President Obama, the big-money backlash against his proposals has been surprisingly swift and screechy.
Sep 9, 2010 / Katrina vanden Heuvel