The life cycle model shows that saving for the future requires people to limit consumption during their working years and save so they will have a “nest egg” to draw on during retirement. Recent changes in how people save for retirement have shifted some responsibility from firms to individuals.

Historically, money was made of either valuable commodities such as gold or silver coins or pieces of paper (bills) representing these commodities. The United States severed its last official monetary link to gold in 1971. The January 2015 Page One Economics Newsletter describes some of the...

"Strong” is usually preferred over “weak.” But for the value of a country’s currency, it’s not that simple. “Strong” isn’t always better, and “weak” isn’t always worse. Learn more about foreign exchange rates in the March 2015 newsletter—“Is a Strong Dollar Better than...

Is there a recipe for economic growth? Perhaps some Miracle-Gro for the economy? If only it were that easy. While the exact recipe is a mystery, economists have identified some of the key ingredients. This month’s newsletter discusses the role that economic institutions play in fostering...

As the Rolling Stones song says, "You can't always get what you want." So we make choices. Every day, governments and individuals choose how much money to spend and what to purchase. The January 2013 Page One Economics Newsletter, "Choices Are Everywhere: Why Can’t We Just Have It All?"...

They say that "money makes the world go round." Just imagine a world without money as our method of payment for everyday transactions. Without money, we would all need to barter for necessary goods and services. For example, suppose an accountant needs to have her car fixed. Under a barter...

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office tackles that question in a new report and highlights the trade-off presented by increasing the minimum wage. This issue of the newsletter explains the debate and discusses whether other approaches may be more effective in helping alleviate poverty.

Income inequality has been rising in the United States and other developed countries. The March 2012 Page One Economics Newsletter discusses income inequality, its causes, and some possible policy solutions.

America is a nation of immigrants. Currently, immigrants make up about 13 percent of the overall population, which means about 40 million people living in the United States are foreign born.

How are economics and the environment related? The quick answer is that environmental quality is a worthy goal, but there is an economic trade-off -- a clean environment does not come without costs. The September 2014 Page One Economics article, "Economics and the Environment", provides some...