Category: Finance

Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs – and some residents could end up with higher costs

Abigail Hall, Professor of Economics, University of TampaLeave a Comment on Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs – and some residents could end up with higher costs

Between inflation, rising car and property insurance premiums and the costs of contending with extreme weather, many Florida homeowners are feeling financially squeezed. While the ballot box can’t change the risk of floods or hurricanes, a constitutional amendment on the November ballot could reduce homeowners’ costs in the form of lower property taxes. Sixty percent […]

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Better guacamole? How avocado import rules helped cut Mexico’s water pollution – it holds lessons for future US trade deals

Jayash Paudel, Associate Professor of Economics, University of OklahomaLeave a Comment on Better guacamole? How avocado import rules helped cut Mexico’s water pollution – it holds lessons for future US trade deals

At picnics and World Cup watch parties across the United States this summer, people have been reaching for bowls of chips and guacamole. Most of that guacamole is made from avocados grown in Mexico – on orchards that, in what might come as a surprise, contribute less water pollution today than they did a decade […]

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Family feud over Chadwick Boseman’s estate highlights 3 lessons for grieving families

Reid Kress Weisbord, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers University - NewarkLeave a Comment on Family feud over Chadwick Boseman’s estate highlights 3 lessons for grieving families

Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer in 2020 shocked his fans. The actor and playwright, best known for starring in Marvel’s first “Black Panther” movie, worked throughout his private battle with the disease. Six years after he died at 43 without a will, he is back in the news because of a dispute among his […]

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Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Pawan Jain, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Michigan FlintLeave a Comment on Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Finding good financial advice can be stressful – and expensive. That’s one reason why chatbots have become an increasingly popular and free alternative. But using artificial intelligence to answer your pressing money questions also carries hidden dangers. I’m a finance professor who has been closely watching the spread of AI into personal finance, and I […]

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Affordable housing often costs more to build than market-rate housing – Colorado is closing the gap

Solomon Greene, Executive Director of the Center for Housing Research and Innovative Solutions, University of DenverLeave a Comment on Affordable housing often costs more to build than market-rate housing – Colorado is closing the gap

In much of the United States, developers spend more to build an affordable apartment for a low-income family than a market-rate one just down the street – sometimes far more. It is one of the central paradoxes of the nation’s housing crisis: The affordable homes that lower-income renters need most tend to be the costliest […]

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Trump administration changes to ‘public charge’ rule could keep millions of immigrants – and their US citizen kids – from getting healthcare they need

Medha D. Makhlouf, Professor of Law, Penn StateLeave a Comment on Trump administration changes to ‘public charge’ rule could keep millions of immigrants – and their US citizen kids – from getting healthcare they need

Imagine this scenario: It is 2023, and a woman we’ll call Jessica and her husband, Pedro, make the difficult decision to leave Venezuela for the United States after they become targets of political repression. Soon after their arrival, they apply for asylum. While their case winds through the immigration system, Jessica and Pedro are thrilled […]

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Should paper checks be abolished like the penny?

Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Business, Boston UniversityLeave a Comment on Should paper checks be abolished like the penny?

Germany is getting rid of paper checks at the end of 2027. Australia is bidding them farewell by 2030. U.S. President Donald Trump followed up his order killing off the penny with an executive order stopping check writing by the federal government. Should the U.S. follow these other countries and broadly eliminate the ability to […]

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Fewer cheap flights, more international suitcases – South Florida’s tourism outlook for 2027

Michael Cheng, Dean and Professor of Hospitality Management, Florida International UniversityLeave a Comment on Fewer cheap flights, more international suitcases – South Florida’s tourism outlook for 2027

What happens after a city hosts the world? Miami is about to find out. In 2026 the city hosted seven FIFA World Cup matches, including a quarterfinal and the bronze final. The city’s broader calendar also featured the College Football Playoff national championship game, the World Baseball Classic and the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. […]

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There’s a business case for companies to embrace sustainability – if it’s pitched the right way

Israa Ameen Thiab, Pollution Prevention Engineer, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLeave a Comment on There’s a business case for companies to embrace sustainability – if it’s pitched the right way

Sustainable business practices are often seen as a luxury that only rich countries can afford. And these days, some of the biggest economies, including the U.S., are backtracking on those commitments. But what if businesses had an incentive to adopt practices that help the environment because it made sense for the bottom line? We are […]

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Starbucks’ big marketing blunder in South Korea shows how cultural blind spots can put global brands in a bind

Karen Stollznow, Senior Research Fellow of Linguistics, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith UniversityLeave a Comment on Starbucks’ big marketing blunder in South Korea shows how cultural blind spots can put global brands in a bind

When Starbucks Korea promoted its series of reusable tumblers called “tanks” with a “Tank Day” campaign on May 18, 2026, it probably seemed like a fun marketing idea. Instead, it spiraled into a public relations crisis. Executives failed to account for the fact that May 18 also coincides with the anniversary of the South Korean […]

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