Voluntary home visiting matches parents with trained professionals to provide information and support during pregnancy and throughout a child's first few years. more

Fear and loathing of income inequality is both totally understandable and ultimately misplaced. A June study from Pew’s Economic Mobility Project finds that 84 percent of Americans have “higher family incomes than their parents did.” more

The idea of going to college—and the expectation that the next generation will be better educated and more prosperous than its predecessor—has been hardwired into the ambitions of the middle classes in the United States. more

Ninety percent of Americans use checking accounts, but they are often unaware that agreements with their bank limit their legal options if there is a disagreement, a new report from an arm of the Pew Charitable Trusts finds. more

The ranks of poor Americans remained at a record high number last year, even aftergovernment-aid programs such as food stamps, housing vouchers and heating subsidies were included, the U.S. Census Bureau said today. more

Many Americans are increasingly turning to high interest, short term loans to try to make ends meet, but a brief overview of payday lending’s problematic setup shows that it’s often a false solution to a false problem. more

The latest installment of our Front & Center series examines the American dream deferred. We talk about the state of the American dream. What is it? How has the notion of it changed? Does it still exist for most folks? If not, what or who is standing in the way? more