According to a recent study conducted by Talker Research for Traditional Medicinals, the average person feels their head “spinning” from stress 156 times per year, or about three times per week, and experiences brain fog with roughly the same frequency. The survey, which polled about 2,000 adults, also discovered that 41% of respondents were currently experiencing their peak stress levels for the year, and about a quarter (26%) fear their stress might increase by year’s end. Despite the inner turmoil, a surprising 45% of respondents have never used stress as the sole reason for taking a mental health day or…

As families across America grapple with rising college costs, many parents and students find themselves asking a crucial question: Is higher education truly worth the investment? While the answer isn’t simple, recent comprehensive research reveals encouraging insights that go far beyond just salary expectations. The Financial Foundation: Understanding the Numbers The May 2024 comprehensive analysis of 53,000 degree programs by the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) reveals that bachelor’s degree holders earn a median $32,112 more annually than high school graduates. This translates to approximately $625,000 in additional lifetime earnings (using a conservative 3% discount rate and accounting…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — the same consumer-oriented protective government agency that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy want to eliminate, as Business Insider and others have reported — came out with its annual report on the mortgage market and trends. The findings likely will not surprise anyone who tried to buy a house last year or this. The number of mortgage applications dropped by 4.3 million, or 30.3% between 2022 and 2023. Originations — the original mortgage loans — fell by 2.7 million, or 32.2%. And 2023 origination volume was only 37.9% of the 2021 peak. Two-thirds of…

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) experienced a dynamic year marked by progress, challenges, and resolution of lingering issues. Under the leadership of Director Collette Peters, the BOP appears poised to become a leaner more efficient organization, focused on tackling persistent problems like understaffing and infrastructure modernization. With an annual budget of $8.3 billion – the largest allocation within the Department of Justice – the BOP faces mounting scrutiny over its expenditures. Despite housing over 50,000 fewer prisoners than its 2023 peak of 213,000, the budget has continued to grow. This increase reflects the rising costs of overtime to offset…

Starting the year with clear goals sets the stage for a year of achievement and personal growth. But where do you start? This article will show you the art and science of setting SMART goals so you can start 2025 off right. Setting the Stage For SMART Goals Before you set goals, you need to know your core values. Aligning your goals with what matters most to you is key. This alignment means your goals are meaningful and resonate with your values, so you’ll be more committed and sustain your momentum. Using tools like personality tests can be a great…

If you own a home — whether a house, a condo, or a trailer — you’ve probably noticed an increase in the cost of property insurance. Well, “increase” is an understatement. Since January 2023, premiums on homeowner’s insurance have taken off as the Bureau of Labor Statistics graph below shows. The hike isn’t a hockey stick exactly, but it’s a sudden jump that you wouldn’t want to climb if it were a hill and you hadn’t been active. Between January 2023 and November 2024, the increase has been almost 18% and that’s likely to continue its rise. The problem is…

While Silicon Valley and Austin have long dominated America’s technology landscape, a new powerhouse is emerging in an unexpected corner of Texas. This is where Texas A&M University is rapidly transforming College Station into one of the most promising up and coming tech hubs in the nation, with over $1.5 billion invested in research and development initiatives since 2020. The university serves as a catalyst for diverse economic growth and technological advancement across the southern United States through its complete approach to building a tech hub. The Breakdown You Need To Know: When engineers come together with diverse perspectives, they…

In November 2022, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) wrote to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters about their concerns concerning the implementation of the First Step Act (FSA). The FSA was a sweeping criminal justice legislation signed into law by then-President Donald Trump on December 2018. Nearly four years after the passage of that law, Durbin and Grassley stated then that: “We write regarding continued failures by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to adequately implement the Earned Time Credit (ETC) provisions of the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (FSA). The FSA enacted…

Peer to Peer Payment Payment Service (P2P) Zelle is used by many people to quickly and conveniently send money electronically from their credit card or bank account. Sending money through Zelle only requires you to enter the recipient’s phone number or email address. Zelle is an app created by the company Early Warning Services (EWS) which is owned by seven of the biggest banks in the United States including Bank of America and Capital One. Presently 2,400 banks and credit unions offer Zelle as a service. Unfortunately, Zelle has proven to be easily exploited by scammers and unlike scams targeting…

Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. In this episode: Learn how to assess your net worth, compare it wisely, and build a financial strategy to meet your long-term goals.What is net worth, and how do you calculate it? How can you use it as a tool to set realistic financial goals? Hosts Sean Pyles and Sara Rathner discuss how to define and calculate net worth, why it’s normal to have a low or negative net worth in your 20s, and how it evolves over time. They begin with a discussion of why net…