Our American suburban tradition of watering lawns arose in the 1950s. (Photo: Ninian Reid/Flickr) Our latest Freakonomics Radio episode is called “How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns?” (You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts or elsewhere, get the RSS feed, or listen via the media player above.) Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful...
Posted by: John S Kiernan “Credit” has three definitions in the context of personal finance. It can refer to a system of commerce, one’s standing within that system or, in the accounting sense, funds that one receives. We’ll explain each definition in more detail below. 1. System of Commerce Credit allows us to buy now and pay later, using borrowed money to complete...
Posted by: Alina Comoreanu The average credit score in the U.S. is anywhere from 669 to 699. It depends on which credit report and credit-score model are used, as the following table shows. Type of Credit Score 2016 Average TransUnion VantageScore 669 Experian VantageScore 673 Equifax VantageScore 699 FICO Score 699 Below, you can learn more about the average credit scores by year,...
Learning how to achieve financial independence and retire early (FIRE) is pretty simple in theory. I’ve covered some key technical concepts is past articles. These include the math behind building wealth quickly and simple tax planning strategies common in the FIRE community. While the concepts are simple in theory, they are not always easy in practice. I’ve studied early retirees and discovered key...
Posted by: John S Kiernan You don’t have to go away to really “get away” if you’re in need of a summer escape. And we don’t mean getting lost in your imagination or a gripping novel, however far such avenues can transport you. Rather, a “staycation” might be in order, especially if you aren’t inclined to drive or fly long distances or simply...
