Middle-class Americans are much more concerned about holding onto what they’ve got than in pursuing more. The Pew Economic Mobility project, the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, and other studies have arrived at similar conclusions. When Pew asked Americans in 2011 if they preferred financial stability or moving up the income ladder, 85 percent of respondents chose the safer, surer future. more

Short-term "payday" loans, and similar "deposit advance" loans offered by major banks, are trapping many consumers in a "revolving door of debt," according to a study due by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB's study echoes findings in a February report by the Pew Charitable Trusts' Safe Small Dollar Loans Research Project. more

A bill before the California Legislature would restrict the number of payday loans to any one borrower — an attempt to break the "debt cycle" that ensnares some of the state's poorest residents. more

The fiscal battle in Washington that led to $85 billion in spending cuts across the federal government has not spared unemployment benefits for almost two million out-of-work Americans, who are being hit by an 11 percent reduction in payments this fiscal year.
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Young bachelor's holders are hurting. But they're still doing better than high-school grads, and their crisis has been vastly overstated. more

Christy Fogarty was certified Feb. 15 as the state’s first advanced dental therapist, which is reason to cheer unless you’re 7 year old Tia Seaberry. Tia, wearing pink sequined boots and bluejeans on a recent Wednesday morning, will be forgiven

American Express announced Tuesday that its prepaid debit cards will now be backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the latest indication that a market once shunned by established financial institutions is gaining ground. The use of reloadable prepaid cards

Some of the nation’s largest banks are providing short-term loans with interest rates of up to 300 percent, driving borrowers into a cycle of debt, according to a new report from the Center for Responsible Lending. more

Some state lawmakers think they've found the solution to the nation's severe dental care access problem, but so far, only two states are using the touted "dental therapists" — and dentists aren’t thrilled about the idea.

The real question is, can [borrowers] actually afford to repay the payday loans? Come up with $300 or $500 in just two weeks? Or even in a month? more

One year after New Hampshire lawmakers passed a bill expanding the role of some dental hygienists, another bill proposes further reform of the state’s oral health system.

Most Americans are earning more money than their parents, according to a new study from Pew's Economic Mobility Project. But those gains don't tell the whole picture. more